A Story with No Name
by scrappster
Summary: People have gone missing overnight, and others are found dead. Something's gone terribly amiss in the universe. Set after Buu, normal pairings, rated for mild language, violence, and badness.
1. Pancakes and Phones

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**Pancakes and Phones**_

_**Summary - **_With the chaos of Buu far behind them, the Z warriors have settled down to their relatively normal lives. However, worries begin to surface and problems quickly follow. People suddenly go missing overnight, and others are found dead. Those still standing are at a loss for what happened, but Vegeta has a lead that will change everyone's lives. For the worst._**  
**_

**AN –** _This is my first dbz fic, and I've actually editted it and changed it quite a bit since I first started. Which is a good thing, I promise. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I've had writing it.  
_

A new dawn sent forth its luscious light, stirring the humans that had rested so peacefully throughout the night. The warm, rich rays consumed the earth and fed its chilled hunger, instantly basking everything within its path with warmth and pleasant simplicity. Streams of pink and orange clouds stretched throughout the sky, bidding farewell to the night and welcoming the new dawn with open arms. Life began stirring, and the humans were now leaving the safety of their homes and sifting through traffic, crowds, and the massive buildings of metal that they considered moral.

These same golden rays spilt through the pale curtains that draped over the kitchen window of the Brief residence, instantly filling the room with the pale warmth of a new day. The lead woman of the household bustled around the kitchen to prepare her family's breakfast. Her husband, Dr. Briefs, renown for his inventions, sat at the table and peacefully consumed an omelet his wife had just made. He held a newspaper with his free hand, reading over the various articles whose topics revolved around Wall Street and the brewing tension between several distant countries. Just as he flicked the newspaper straight, his daughter casually walked into the room. She walked past her busy mother and took a plate that had previously been prepared.

"Hey Mom. Hey Dad."

With this, she carried her plate to her seat beside her father and sat down with her natural grace. Dr. Briefs didn't lift his eyes and casually bubbled out a reply.

"Morning dear..."

Her mother, as cheery as ever, fluttered happily at her daughter's greeting, and instantly abandoned her cooking to give her a loving hug.

"Why, good morning Bulma! Did you sleep well?"

Mrs. Briefs always had a tendency to care either too much or too little, and yet the way she said it always stayed the same. It was one of the biggest reasons Bulma hated her mother, but at the same time loved her. Bulma gave her a hug back, but with Bunny's question, Bulma's eyes shifted to a solemn aura. She sighed and looked back to her pankcake-laden plate, remembering how well her sleep wasn't. Vegeta had waken up, rather violently at that, and hurried off before she could stop him. By the time she had gotten out of bed, he had already disappeared and left her alone. It wasn't that nightmares like that were uncommon for the saiyan Prince, but the look on his face told her something was different about that dream.

"Mostly, except Vegeta woke me up in the middle of the night. It was probably just a nightmare, but I'm worried. He acted funny, and I haven't seen him since…"

Bunny had already continued cooking, but with Bulma's reply, she laughed for a moment and turned her head to see her daughter. She nodded quiantly.

"Yes, he was acting strangely earlier this morning."

Bulma straightened up at her mother's response.

"What? You saw him? When? What was he doing?"

Mrs. Briefs pivoted on her heels to face Bulma and tilted her head in thought.

"I saw him a few hours ago. He seemed a little shaken, so I was going to make him an early breakfast to make him feel better. But, of course that boy was too excited to stay long enough for me to make him anything."

Bulma looked down to her food, concern washing over her again with the new information.

"What was he doing? Where did he go?"

Bunny placed her hand underneath her pale chin and rested her head as she thought up a reply.

"Hm…well, I think he went outside. Haven't seen him since, though. Sorry Dear, but maybe he just went out for a walk."

Mrs. Briefs spoke with a cheery, carefree tone that had irritated Bulma on so many occasions. Bulma sighed, a bit agitated with her mother's lack of knowledge, but she brushed it aside and looked towards the window. Bunny's ever-cheery voice chimmed in.

"Bulma, don't you worry about him. He'll get hungry and come in eventually."

Bunny turned back to her cooking, and Bulma simply nodded softly to herself and turned her attention back to breakfast. Then, almost as though on cue, Vegeta entered the room with a silence that had become one of his most recognizable characteristics. After grabbing a few plates, he made his way to the table, as graceful as ever, and sat down dutifully. Bulma glared daggers into the side of his face as he was moving, but he didn't seem to take notice and calmly began eating his meal. Bulma's impatience grew with his 'cold shoulder' treatment, and she snapped at him.

"Well?"

Her beautiful blue eyes had captured a look that could terrorize children, and she folded her arms as she waited for some sort of acknowledgment. Her hopes were dashed when he grunted indifferently and replied boredly.

"Well what?"

Her rage began to boil at his indifference, all her concern having gotten her riled up.

"You know what! Where did you go?"

He calmly lifted his gaze from his food, and his composure only irritated her further.

"Why would that matter?"

"It matters because I have to know if I'll be visited by an angry mob today."

He laughed and shook his head calmly, speaking with a slightly higher tone then before.

"Well, no worries about all that. All I did was take a little walk around the city."

"Which is exactly what I'm afraid of."

Mrs. Briefs suddenly placed a few more dishes of food before the Saiyan.

"Thank you."

Bunny giggled gaily and nodded

"You're so very welcome! Sweety, you really shouldn't overreact like that. He's such a polite young man, why would he lie?"

With this statement, Vegeta smiled politely, and rather flagrantly, and shook his head softly.

"I'm just being polite, I thought that was customary?"

Bunny giggled again and waved a hand at Vegeta.

"See? He's too nice of a man to be lying, so if he says that all he did was take a walk, then I'm sure that's all he did."

He smiled politely up to Bulma's mother again, and she promptly returned to her cooking. The second Bunny's back was turned, he flicked his gaze to Bulma and morphed his sweet, gentile smile into a triumphant grin. Bulma glowered darkly at the manipulative Prince, yet his demoting smile stayed unchanged. She rolled her eyes and continued eating. She didn't even really care where he had gone. She had just hoped that he would answer, and that maybe she would figure out what was wrong.

Dr. Briefs stood and picked up his plate. He carried it monotonously to the sink and washed it off quickly, but before he left the kitchen, he paused by his wife and gave her a thankful hug from behind and a quick smooch on the check. Vegeta and Bulma sat in silence at the table when the phone suddenly rang and interrupted the quiet. Vegeta grumbled in irritation, yet he ignored it and continued eating. Bulma watched him for a few seconds, but when another note pierced the air, she moaned at his laziness and quickly dashed to the phone.She plucked the reciever from its place.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Oh! Hey Chi! Didn't think you'd call, but I'm glad you did. Just a second, let me go upstairs and we-"

She was about to hang up the phone up when she suddenly stopped, obviously listening to what Chi-chi was saying. When she finally finished with whatever she was saying, Bulma smiled and cried out.

"Really? My gosh, Chi! We think so alike! How about…oh, say ten-ish? It's eight-thirty right now, so maybe you can get Goku and Goten over here by then."

She then burst into laughter at Chi-chi's reply and nodded to herself. After a few short words, she bid a quick adieu to her friend and swiftly returned the receiver to its home. She turned to Vegeta with a devilish smirk resting upon her face and folded her arms arrogantly across her chest.

"Guess what, Vegeta?"

Of course, he did nothing but grunt in reply to her pointless inquiry. Nonetheless, she continued, knowing well that the information she had would certainly piss him off. To ensure the torture had its greatest effect, she slowed her speech and raised her voice.

"Well, Vegeta, Chi-Chi just gave me a brilliant idea. Do you know what it is?"

She paused, hoping to irk him by taking so long to speak, but instead he stayed silent.

"…well, she suggested we had some sort of get-together. We haven't seen each other ever since that whole ordeal with Buu, and I miss everyone. So, since my place is much bigger…"

At this, Vegeta rolled his eyes because he knew what she was insinuating. However, he didn't make a grunt or moan of dissatisfaction like he normally would have, but either way, she continued on.

"I suggested that everyone should come here. And they will. So could you make a bunch of hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone Mom? We'll need a lot."

Bunny laughed lightly and nodded. She had just finished cooking the last pancake and lathered it in butter and warm syrup. She placed it aside for whenever Trunks woke up and turned to face Bulma.

"Alright. I'll have them ready by noon, is that fine Bulma-sweety?"

Bulma nodded.

"That'll be perfect, Mom. Thanks loads."

With that matter resolved, she quickly returned to her breakfast in hopes that it hadn't gotten cold. She glanced at Vegeta out of the corner of her eye, noticing that he didn't seem the least bit angry like she thought. He hated get-togethers like these, and yet he didn't seem to mind so much this time. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge in the back of her head that something must be wrong. However, she shook her head softly, and convinced herself that he was just edgy because of his dream earlier that morning.

She smiled.

Yes. It was only because of a dream.


	2. Hotdogs and Football

**. A Story with No Name .**

**_Hotdogs and Football_**

_**AN – **Well, this took a long time, but it's a long one. I hope you guys like this chapter, and thanks to Desta and Dark kia once again. Oh, and my sis, Despondent. If you have any suggestions whatsoever, don't be shy and speak up._

The first to arrive stood on the doormat exactly five minutes before ten and pressed the doorbell to signal their presence. Bulma was bustling about, cleaning up what the robots took too long to clean and ensuring everything was Goku-Krillin proof, knowing well that when those two came together, the results were disastrous. Vegeta sat on the couch flipping through a magazine, having been forbidden to enter the gravity room, and when the bell struck, he lifted his head nonchalantly and gazed towards the door.

He sighed and returned to his mindless scan of the magazine, and soon Bulma appeared, angered that he didn't greet her guest. She glared at him on her way to the door, and in return, she received a devious smile that perfectly fitted Vegeta's sleek face, and in retaliation, she rolled her eyes, silently dubbing him immature and childish. She then grasped the doorknob, quickly opening her home to the one who stood before her. It was Tien, oddly enough, who stood before the entrance of her home. She smiled warmly, though not as merrily as she would had Goku or Krillin been standing where Tien did now.

"Well, hey Tien! Didn't think you'd show. It's good to see you again, come on in!"

She spoke hospitably and warmly, and he smiled thankfully and led Chaotzu into the Capsule Corp. He glanced towards Vegeta, who sarcastically flashed a friendly smile, hoping to anger the three-eyed man. Much to the Saiyan's liking, Tien glared harshly at him, though soon turned away his gaze and found a suitable chair. Chaotzu followed him, and found a chair near his titanic ally.

"The food'll be served outside, and to make sure Goku doesn't break something, I think we'll all just meet out there. It's a beautiful day anyway…Oh….just a second, I'll be right back."

A harsh a wail sliced through the air, interrupting Bulma's polite directions, and she instantly fled towards the bedrooms, knowing all too well that Trunks had done something. This left the trio in silence, and a rather awkward silence at that. After a few minutes, Tien decided to follow the directions Bulma had given him, and left the room without a word. Vegeta ignored him and continued flipping through the pages that held various pictures, anywhere from the newest fashion statement to the newest brand of hand tools on the market.

Just as his powerful fingers caressed the glossy pages, another note pierced through the air, signaling yet another guest's appearance. He lifted his eyes with an ease that seemed as though he had just heard nothing but a dog barking in the distance, and quickly allowed his dark eyes to scan over the ads once more.

Just as he was looking over an ad for cigarettes, a round of bell tolls vibrated throughout the house, repeating at an annoying pace and consistency that instantly told him who was standing beyond the wooden door. Kakarot. He tried to ignore the repetitive, ringing doorbell, but eventually the volume and repetition became too irritating for him to bear. He growled as he threw the magazine onto the table and stormed towards the door.

He snatched the doorknob and instantly flung the door open to the mass of people that stood on the doorstep. Goku instantly reared back, the door just barely missed his head, and started laughing at Vegeta's rage. Krillin stood to his left, a massive grin sitting comfortably upon his noseless face, and the second Vegeta opened the door, his bubbling laughter burst into the air. Behind the duo stood Goku's wife, Chi-chi, and his son, Goten, who had joined in the duo's laughter.

Vegeta glared harshly at the group, his eyes dark with wild and passionate fury, and he growled bared his teeth at the group.

"Damn it, how idiotic can you be? Go around, it's out back."

His voice resonated with a power that matched his furious eyes, and at his anger, the trio once more exploded into laughter. Kakarot and his little friend must have met previously, otherwise they wouldn't have been so…flustery. One side of his lip rose slightly, reaching a peak that was at such a height to reveal his fleshy gums, and he growled deeply and pointed harshly with his hand towards the side of the house.

"Go, now."

The venomous hatred he held for their mockery dripped from every vibrating note, and at his satanic demand, their laughter finally halted. Goku chuckled a bit and protectively raised his hands, holding them up before him and speaking quickly to soothe the brewing anger characteristic to Vegeta alone.

"All right, all right Vegeta, no need to get homicidal on me."

A few chuckles from various people erupted once more at Goku's reaction, and much to the Prince's enjoyment, they turned and walked away, disappearing behind the curved side of the yellow house. He emitted an irritated grumble, mumbling a few curse words that none upon the planet would understand, yet he paused after his anger had passed, calming himself to ensure he wouldn't loose his temper.

He turned around and shut the door quickly, walking back to where the magazine lay. He had thrown it too carelessly to land on its intended target, thus it lay upon the ground, abandoned and alone upon a vast field of dark bluish-green carpet. He stared at it for a while, suddenly lost in his thoughts. That dream, it had been far too long since the last time he had it, and why now? He had practically forgotten His voice, let alone thought about him recently. The whole incident with Buu was far too fresh in his mind, so why had he dreamt of Him?

Vegeta was as rigid and silent as stone, staring at the ground when Bulma walked in bestowing a look of merriment. She stopped upon catching sight of Vegeta. His dark eyes lifted to fall upon her fair face, and his soft gaze hardened quickly upon realizing that another had approached. Her surprise and curiosity instantly dissipated, and in its place, her usual irritation appeared. He was just a strange person who did strange things for whatever reason, and this was obviously just one of those things that were better left unquestioned.

"Would you come outside for a while? I know you loathe them with a hatred that no mortal can comprehend, but you need to get some exposure before your head explodes."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed in response, instantly bending down to pick the discarded magazine from the ground. He carried it to the couch, but before he reached it, she grabbed his arm and tugged forcibly against it.

"I mean -now-."

He sighed in defeat and reluctantly followed the domineering wench. She led him through the back door and out onto the lawn. His eyes skimmed quickly across the mass of people, matching faces with names to see who had all appeared. Goku and his mate, obviously, as well as his youngest son, all stood by the table he had been forced to carry. They were talking to Gohan, who had brought a strange girl he had seen with him at the World Tournament. She had dark hair and blue eyes, and reminded him vaguely of someone he had seen on TV once. Nevertheless, his eyes skimmed over the rest, spying Yamcha and his little cat friend, Tien, Chaotzu, Piccolo, and Trunks, who had obviously jumped out of his window upon realizing that his best friend had arrived.

"There ya are, Bulma! I thought he killed you or something."

Krillin's sarcastic statement caused everyone (besides Vegeta and Piccolo, of course) to laugh. Vegeta wrenched out of Bulma's grip and folded his arms over his chest and glared towards the joyful group. He lifted one side of his mouth in a terrible attempt at a sarcastic smile, and his deep voice vibrated within his throat.

"Ha ha, oh how funny. You're just lucky I didn't."

The honesty in his voice caused another eruption of laughter, and in reply, he rolled his eyes and walked a few paces away from the gathering to find a nice, solitary placement along the pale walls of the house. Upon reaching his destination, he leaned his back against the outer wall and folded his arms over his chest.

Goten instantly jumped up and ran to greet the Saiyan prince, jumping up and down in front of him a gleeful manner. He giggled and pointed, finding some sort of twisted amusement in Vegeta's presence, and began shouting a well-known nickname he had adopted.

"Uncle Veggie-boy! Yeah! You came out! Trunks said you were farting around inside and would never come out, but here you are! Hahahehe I won Trunks, you suck."

Trunks grumbled and rolled his eyes, lifting his shoulders and quickly retaliating to Goten's Victory-dance.

"Big deal, I knew my mom was going to bring 'im out here. I was just giving you that stupid cookie, Dumb-butt."

With this, the two kids launched into a brutal verbal war that humored those watching because of its hateful air that lacked in vulgarity. Bulma shrugged and turned towards Krillin. A massive smile curled her painted lips as she remembered a problem he had told her about a few days prior. Her grin held a devious air, and he shrunk back in a simple, playful fear. She laughed and nudged him in the side with her elbow.

"So, Krillin, how'd that whole gig play out between you and 18? My advice worked?"

He blushed and laughed nervously, instantly raising his hands to scratch the back of his head. He closed his eyes in a poor attempt at keeping the final result a secret from her prying mind, yet his mischievous character was too easily deciphered to conceal any information long. Bulma instantly erupted into a laugh, hooting a few times in a sort of congratulatory manner. He joined in her hearty laughter as the surrounding ears had captured their curious words and actions, and he nodded, proving her suspicions.

"Like a charm, but it's not like I needed that, ya know. I'm a lady's man."

He changed his voice to a voice that held a sarcastically charming tone, acting like the sex-god he believed himself to be. He wiggled his eyebrows and caused a joyous explosion of laughter and sarcastic comments, ranging from 'Oh yeah, Pimp-Daddy!' and 'I'd go out with you!' (of which was spoken by Goku).

Just then, the sliding glass door opened and Mrs. Briefs stepped out onto the lawn. A certain scent wafted about her feet and caused all heads to turn. Fresh meat, buttered buns, and the distinct, sour scent of mustard reached everyone's noses, and all turned to gaze upon the goddess that brought such luscious food. Bulma's mother was cheery and simple in appearance, though to any ominous being watching over the group, she would have seemed wise in the ways of manipulation and deception, so wise that not even the greatest of minds would have outdone her. A woman of which all underestimate, yet none compare.

She carried the massive platters of food and laid each upon the large table that had been set for their feast. As soon as she had set the plate upon the table, she swiftly turned to continue delivering the refreshments. Once she left, the entire group instantly lunged to the table, the Saiyans due to hunger and the others due to the biting fear that the monstrous Saiyan gullets would consume every ounce of food before they even got a chance to eat.

Eventually, order was regained within the group and each person had dished what they wished to eat. Everyone peacefully ate their hotdogs, coleslaw, and chips, talking of simple and happy topics that eased any shyness that naturally brewed after long periods without visiting. Vegeta, as curious as it seemed to everyone, ate quietly and calmly listened to the mindless banter that bounded across the table. Yamcha spoke up as silence shortly captured their hearts, asking a characteristic question that seemed mandatory.

"So, what's been new with everyone? I got a new job as one of those guys who announce stuff at the games. It's a killer job with great hours and awesome pay."

A few people laughed or congratulated him on his accomplishment, and in reply to his question, Chi-chi raised her voice to be heard.

"Well, nothing much has happened since we last got together, but I did make a new recipe. I'll have to bring it next time and make some for you, it's simply superb!"

Her eyes glistened in pride at her own words, and Goku instantly straightened up, his eyes wide with childish awe as he backed up her words.

"Dude, it's so good! I mean, it's like the best thing that's ever been invented, it's scary!"

His large expression filled with childish honesty caused everyone to laugh, and he blinked confused as to why everyone was laughing at what he had just said.

"What? It is!"

Of course, this naturally caused everyone's laughter to increase, leaving a bewildered Goku blinking. Goten, having grown bored with the conversation, decided to change the topic under discussion so that he would receive more attention. He stuck out his chin, grinning from ear to ear, while he boldly interrupted the group.

"You guys know what? I know more about Uncle Veggie-boy than Trunks does, 'cause we had a bet, an' I won!"

Trunks snapped his head up from his plate of food and glared coldly at his friend.

"I let you win, you dork. Get over it."

Goten pouted, sticking his chin out even further and yelling at Trunks, believing that he had won fair and square (of which he had).

"No you didn't! You're stupid Trunks!"

"Oh yeah" said Trunks as he stood up, "Wanna prove it, Dumby?"

Goten wailed, hurt by his new name, and lunged at Trunks, starting a wrestling match right on the table. Everyone instantly screeched, jumping away from the table to ensure they weren't caught up in the brawl. Most were laughing at the incident, although Krillin was having a difficult time breathing to join in the hooting group. Bulma shrieked at the two boys, having gotten the mustard bottle thrown at her.

"Trunks! This is a table, not a wrestling mat! Get off!"

Chi-chi joined her, harshly scolding (from a distance, mind you) the duo for fighting directly on the table. Vegeta, however, hadn't stood with the others, since he was sitting on the edge, and he continued eating as though two children weren't fighting just inches from his face. Chaos ensued all around him while he peacefully ate his hotdog with his eyes closed. Krillin was still doubled over, laughing too hard to breathe properly, when Vegeta's hand suddenly shot out and locked onto Trunks small face, not even opening his eyes to see. Trunks froze instantly, staying as still as possible, and Goten instantly stopped as well, though he was quietly scooting millimeters away. A soft squeak slid past Trunks' lips while Vegeta calmly finished chewing a mouthful of food. Everyone stared at the situation before them, wide-eyed more from shock than fear.

Vegeta swallowed, obviously taking his sweet time, and slowly turned his head to face Trunks, ominously opening his eyes as he did so. His grip on the child's face was unmovable, just in case the boy attempted freedom. Trunks' eyes widened slightly when his father looked him straight in his eyes, a sign that normally meant he was in major trouble. Vegeta calmly lifted his powerful arm, bringing his son's head along, and lifted him high above the table. Trunks stayed completely still, fearing to move even the slightest inch. Bulma visibly tensed when he did this, watching carefully while Vegeta pivoted his arm away from the table. He suddenly unleashed his hold upon the young boy's face, letting him drop to the ground to catch his own feet, and calmly turned back to his meal. Trunks squeaked again when his feet hit the ground, and he instantly scuttled to the other side of the table, politely and obediently following his father's unspoken orders. Goten quickly joined his friend, and together they sat in silence, continuing to eat in a very polite manner.

Bulma breathed a sigh and walked back to the table, and the others followed her example. Chi-chi stared at Vegeta while she made her way back, and when she finally reached her seat, a large smile broke over her face.

"Wow, Vegeta. I can't even get Goten to listen to me, but the two of them? Together? In the same breathing space? Wow, I must say, I'm impressed. We oughta make him baby-sit, eh Bulma?"

Bulma smiled wryly, but lifted her shoulders and grinned a sarcastic smile.

"Well, I would, but whenever I leave those two home alone, the result is inevitable. My mom will end up somewhere in Saudi Arabia, and my dad will have locked himself in a closest with a package of hotdogs and three bottles of Vodka. The animals are loose in the house, the robots are doing the Macarena and singing that 'Henry the 8th' song by the Beatles, and some weird guy is running around in circles screaming 'Where's the mother-ship? I wanna meet some girls!'."

Laughter filled the pleasant spring air once more, rising to a lovely peak that could soothe even the coldest of beast. It was such a grand tone that Vegeta suddenly paused with his silent thoughts that had been carefully pondering, hoping to accomplish some understanding. That harmonic sound of various chuckles held a purity and strength that had always baffled him, but he had a strange question that would cause a gloom to spread over their minds. No, he would stay silent until he understood what the hell was bothering him so much.

Stay silent? On something of this importance? His nose quivered slightly at his sudden change in plans. No, he was being rash. It was nothing but a simple question to the wiser of them, it held no importance to their pineal lives or his well-being. His well-being…he was being self-centered again. But what would that matter? He deserved to be self-centered. He was a Prince, for god's sake, and these were nothing but foolish weaklings that could be killed with a flick of his wrist.

Damn Earthlings. Maybe they were psychics and never told him so that they could play mind-games with him. Sounds like something they would do. Gah, he was being paranoid. No, he at least had to ask Piccolo and that fool, Kakarot. If they were thinking the same things as he, then he knew what it meant. This little dream would morph back into the reality that he had lived for so long…damn it. He did it again. Fear was not the way to think. Possibilities, there were always other possibilities and answers to the strange things that happen…it didn't always mean the same thing.

Ha. Right, so far that little theory had been proved incorrect. At this thought he winced, snapping his eyes shut and twisting his head to the side in such a manner that others would believe he was in pain. Bulma, having placed herself beside the Saiyan warrior, noticed this sudden movement, and turned to capture a clearer view. She blinked curiously, and her sudden diversion of attention caused other heads to pivot, each pair of eyes resting upon the cold-hearted prince.

He looked up the instant he felt their prying eyes, and snapped his gaze around, looking from each face to the next. He raised one of his powerful eyebrows.

"What? I bit into a stale chip. Something wrong?"

A few people chuckled at his excuse, each person taking it for truth, and everyone turned back to the topic that had been under discussion before Goten had blurted out his little victory. Krillin quickly continued his previous speech, answering Yamcha's question quickly so that he would be in the spotlight of attention once more.

"Yeah, well, I ain't doin' much. Just training and trying to keep Master Roshi from drooling on the TV."

Everyone laughed once more, having perfect insight on the little inside joke, and nodded in full agreement with his simple mockery. Bulma spoke out boldly, loudly declaring her accomplishments with an obvious pride.

"Well, I kept our company from loosing 1.5 million dollars during the past three days, and it's all 'cause Daddy's letting me work on some of the money issues. I've refined the newest version of the capsule and…right, you guys don't care about that."

Vegeta humphed and kept his eyes nonchalantly lowered and focused upon his plate of food.

"No, we don't. Now why don't you shut your trap so that I can eat in peace?"

She instantly glared at Vegeta, and when he failed to acknowledge her angered glare, she growled slightly.

"Vegeta, you little ass. It's not like –you've- done anything important, now have you?"

At this, he lifted his head and turned it smoothly to gaze upon her. His eyes held that dead calm that occasionally touched his eyes, and while he would normally snap back with some witty remark, a large, intelligent grin graced his features, mocking her with some unknown knowledge.

"Oh, I haven't? Well, I doubt you'll be saying that when another Buu pops up."

His voice was so calm that it only angered her further. He was supposed to be quivering in fear of her rage, begging for her forgiveness and pleading apologies. Of course, that's why she was so fond of him. His will was as strong as her own, and that was saying something, and his stubborn attitude towards life gave her something to think about, something to debate with, something to focus on when her day had gone completely wrong. However, his reply was best left unmatched for the time being. She rolled her eyes and murmured a word under her breath, but quickly focused back onto her group of friends.

Random people spoke of random subjects and soon finished off their lunches. Goku suddenly straightened up and placed his hands on the table, looking around competitively as an idea popped into his head. He grinned and looked around curiously.

"Hey, you guys wanna play football or something? I'm bored outta my mind."

The majority agreed to this idea, and rose from their chairs to leave the table. In a queer unison, the mass of people walked to a larger expanse of the lawn, and began choosing captains and teams. Bulma and Chi-chi stayed behind, watching the group and talking of matters more feminine now that the men had left, and though Vegeta had risen with the others, he had taken a detour to sit beneath the shade of a tree. Piccolo didn't even seem to realize that other activities were occurring, for his silence and position remained unchanged.

A short brawl started between Goku and Krillin, each wanting to be a team captain, yet not wanting to be against the other. They agreed that they were better as a team, yet neither could decide as to which would be the team captain. The fight was finally quelled when Yamcha suggested that he and Tien would be the two captains that whoever chose Goku would also choose Krillin. Of course, the two men had lied, just to piss them off, and caused yet another brawl to break out. Nevertheless, they got around to playing their game, but since no one had a football to use, they decided to use what appeared to be a stick.

The two women watched the boys, laughing occasionally and scolding those who were getting too rough. Vegeta watched them silently, and finally decided to break the question before it got too late. He rose away from the cool earth and walked towards the brawling mass of people. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, watching as they tumbled and ran back and forth without giving him a second thought. He glared, and instantly raised his voice proudly over the commotion before him.

"Hey, you fools, would you stop for a second?"

At this, they stopped and lifted their heads to gaze towards Vegeta, bewilderment flickering brightly within their eyes. Goku straightened up and walked forward, friendly as usual.

"What's up, Vegeta? Wanna play?"

He glared darkly upon the taller saiyan, snarling slightly in reply.

"Hell no. I want to talk to you."

At this, everyone straightened up, confused and shocked that he would wish to talk to the supposed idiotic, pathetic excuse for a warrior. Goku shrugged and waved to everyone else, knowing that if someone like Vegeta wanted to talk, then it had to be serious.

"Go ahead and keep playin' guys, I'll be right back."

He quickly turned and followed after Vegeta, who had already started walking away from the mass of confused people. Krillin shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the game, trying to rile everyone up again so they could continue. Vegeta walked over to the tree and turned to face Goku. The taller saiyan bore a look of curiosity, yet when Vegeta's harsh, solemn gaze met his own, he abandoned his previous merriment and took on a more serious attitude.

"What's up?"


	3. Premonitions

**. A Story with No Name . **

**_Premonitions_**

AN – _Well, once again I took forever to post this puny, crap-monkey chapter. I'm terribly sorry about the delay and the short, crappyness. Anyway, to the point. I am going to be at my dad's house quite a bit this summer, so I won't have time to type anything, but the only thing I will be able to do is sleep, eat, and write. So I will. I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter done before I come back on Monday the 14th(ironically my b-day), so expect another chapter then. _

"What's up?"

Goku's simple question, although somber in tone, seemed to anger the shorter man with its simplicity. The flesh covering Vegeta's face furrowed with anger, and his dark eyes burned with a deep, ominous. Vegeta's rich voice vibrated beautifully against his throat, its strength still obvious yet its volume minimized to keep his words secret.

"I'm not quite sure. It may just be my imagination, but the Namek agrees with my assumptions."

He paused momentarily to glancing towards Piccolo, which caused Goku to do the same. When Piccolo's eyes caught Goku's, the silent warrior nodded, showing that he and Vegeta had spoken of such before hand. The tall Saiyan returned his focus to the shorter man, listening intently and awaiting his future words. Vegeta focused upon the rich blades of grass that swayed gently under the protective shade of the oak tree, and his voice once more interrupted the shouts of the others in the background.

"Well, I have this ominous feeling that…that something is going to happen."

Goku blinked carefully, watching the shorter saiyan before him curiously, not realizing that Vegeta was insinuating a question. Vegeta glared harshly at his innocence and rolled his eyes just slightly, restating his previous statements in a manner more understandable.

"Basically, you buffoon, I sense that something is amiss. And I was asking to see if you were sensing it too, or if I was just being paranoid."

Goku's expression of blank ignorance sparked at his realization. He then cocked his head to the side, pausing for a moment while attempting to recall any memory concerning the supposed danger Vegeta spoke of.

"Hmm…well, I'm not sure Veg. Maybe, but I really can't remember."

Vegeta twitched inwardly at the new nickname he had been given, and the rest of the bulky Saiyan's response only succeeded in angering him further. His glare darkened and grew with its characteristic fury, and he snarled darkly towards Goku.

"Kakarot, you really should remember things of such importance. And don't call me that, my name is _not_ Veg. It is Vegeta, and if you wish to call me something other then that, then it would have to be 'Sir' or 'Lord' or, my personal preference, 'Master'."

Goku laughed at the honesty that rang within Vegeta's rugged voice, and he shook his head unconsciously and shut his eyes calmly.

"Ah, you oughta chill out a bit. Relax, enjoy days like these. If there is something bad goin' down, then we'll figure it out and everything'll be alright. You really shouldn't worry so much. Anyway, I gotta get back to the guys. Wanna join? You'll be fun, honest."

At his reply, Vegeta sneered and lifted a powerful arm, instantly dismissing the discussion with a flick of his wrist. Vegeta pivoted smoothly upon his heels and walked a few paces away in search of the perfect position to continue his 'people-watching' while Goku shrugged indiscreetly and happily bid a silent farewell to the harsh Prince. He had known from the instant he set eyes on the brutal Prince that he would never loosen up and simply enjoy life to the fullest, yet he still wished he would at least try to change. But no, Goku wasn't about to waste his valuable time and effort thinking about that now.

Goku turned and jogged back to where his friends struggled against one another in a friendly, yet passionate, competition of wit and skill. They paused upon hearing a shout from Goku, and motioned for him to hurry up so that they could continue their game.

And in this manner, the day slowly burned away. Every second of joy and laughter, taken for granted, and yet every moment would soon be remembered for a lifetime.

All of their voices seemed to match one another's so perfectly that even the greatest of choirs couldn't have reached such a stage of perfection, and yet they were casual, so very casual that the only explanation was that they were angels singing hymns of reverence to some greater force. Everything they did consisted of friendship, trust, and love. It was a strange group, of course, that created this unnaturally perfect choir.

This was the mass of people, all of different origins and lives, that socialized upon the Briefs' residence. Little did any know that a pair of eyes watched their blissful jabbering with a cool ease that could freeze the souls of those he so carefully observed, had they known of his presence. The fools were so peaceful, so happy. Ha, their joys would soon be thrashed, for their punishment was long past due. They would see the darkness of reality in justice for the dark crimes they had committed against his family and pride.

Technically, of course, not all of them played a role in his shameful demise, but he didn't mind. He needed a few new toys to tinker with anyway. At this thought, a sadistic, yet natural smile crawled upon his lips. Oh yes, he needed new slaves, new workers with strong wills. Oh the challenges that appeared as they struggled against the chains he locked upon their ankles. Every time some fool believed freedom was a possibility, their hopes would be dashed, their wishes severed, and their dreams burned within the fiery depths of the Hell he had created.

Oh, how he enjoyed watching creatures deal with the situations he presented. The innocent ones, especially, brought the greatest joy to his darkened heart. They sometimes clung upon their simple ways, yet their innocence would forever be tainted ever slightly with sorrow and confusion, a perfect mask of which behind lay a tortured mind battling against itself. Then, insanity, and eventually, suicide. Ah, their dark eyes, the depth and emotion within their voices as they spoke his name, the sheer hatred within their hearts that burned while they forced themselves to comply to his ways. He loved it all. From the first glint of fear within their eyes to the very last drop of their crimson blood that fell upon the metallic ground of his all-too-perfect recreation of Hell.

But no, such luscious thoughts of torture were not to be pondered quite yet. There was still the task of gathering them and forcing them under his command. At that point alone would he be satisfied. For at that point, his vengeful, piercing eyes would eternally rest upon their pathetic souls, and at that point, they would be his and his alone to mold.


	4. I Promise

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**I Promise**_

**AN** – _Well, o.o; Very long overdue, no? I'm terribly sorry about that, but very unexpected plans popped up. First my cousin, then an exceptionally long time at my dad's, then we moved. O.o;; To say the least, I've been busy. So, here is the chapter that should have come up two months ago. O.o; -cough- Heh, anyway, continuing on, this story is gonna start taking a bit of a turn from what I originally had planned. Hehehe, so what'll happen this chapter? Not even I know. O.o; and that's scary. XD o.O; heh, anyway …_

A long, sorrowed wave concluded the warm afternoon. None wished to leave, but the sun was setting and its golden hue would soon abandon the world. So, to ensure their return would be safe, the Son family departed along with the others. Yamcha needed to prepare for work the coming day, Piccolo was supposedly behind on his meditation, Gohan needed to take Videl home before it got late, and Krillin needed to return home to ensure no fatalities had befallen the household. As Goku lifted his wife from the ground, Goten and Krillin levitated into the air, waving one last farewell to their old blue-haired friend. They shot off into the west, each holding a pleasant smile upon their face, and Krillin's house soon drew near. Another bout of farewells took hold, and each turned his own way. Within minutes, Goku and Goten landed on the lawn, and after setting Chi-chi down, walked inside their house and soon settled down to sleep. It had been a refreshing day that would get them through a few more months of monotony.

……

The sun rose softly and flickered across Son Goku's smooth, youthful face. He blinked a few times as his mind returned to its normal state, and he stared forward at the unusually dark walls that closed off the master bedroom from the rest of the house. His brows furrowed in tired confusion, knowing well that Chi-chi always opened the drapes before she fixed breakfast.

Mmm…

He perked up upon remembering the wonderful meal his wife always prepared, and took a large breath, hoping to smell exactly what she had decided to cook for today. His pleasant thoughts halted instantly when his deep breath lacked of the appetizing scent of food. He sat up swiftly, eyes wide with curiosity as he quickly scanned the room. He stared at the drapes that were still hanging over the window, and he blinked for a moment in confusion. His ears strained to hear the sounds of his wife downstairs, yet there was nothing that his sharp ears could catch. He threw the covers aside and jumped out of bed, flinging the door open and dashing into the living room, frantically searching for his wife's ki. She was nowhere to be felt, and he instantly ran towards his son's room, screaming frantically hoping to wake him before reaching the door.

"Goten! Goten, wake up! Wake up!"

He threw open his son's door to see him still sleeping beneath the covers. He breathed a sigh of relief for but a moment as he quickly covered the distance. He flung away the covers that dared trap his youngest son in sweet dreams and grabbed his shoulders, gently shaking him awake.

"Goten? Goten, wake up!"

The young boy's eyes fluttered a bit as his face contorted in various ways, and when he could finally focus on the large mass of color before him, he smiled and blinked one last time to bid every ounce of sleep that still rest within his mind.

"Hiya, Daddy! Is it breakfast time already?"

Goku's eyes were strict but soft while he stared at his son. Every time he looked at Goten, he always saw Gohan, and treated him as he had his older son. Of course, he often forgot that Gohan had matured much sooner thanks to the various situations he had been placed in. Goten, however, had yet to experience the things that had made his brother so much older so much sooner, yet Goku still treated him the same.

"No Goten. I…uh…"

He paused, realizing that telling Goten that his Mom was missing wasn't the wisest thing to do. He blinked, trying to think of something to cover up the real reason as to why he had burst into the room like a madman.

"I…uh…had a nightmare and wanted to say that I love you."

He quickly hugged his son and stood up.

"Now, let's go downstairs. I think your mom went to the store to buy some food, so we'll have to wait a little while to eat."

Goten pouted, obviously dissatisfied to hear about the delayed meal, but he quickly recovered and launched from the mattress and bound downstairs to turn on the TV Bulma had given them for Christmas one year. Goku, however, walked towards the kitchen and quickly picked up the phone. His fingers swiftly dialed a number he had remembered long ago (a rarity, without a doubt), and drew the receiver to his ear. A single note vibrated softly against his acute ears, and he waited impatiently for Bulma to pick up the phone.

It rang, and rang, and rang, sounding hopeless, as though it were calling out into a void of darkness where no beast cared to turn and take notice. Goku's finger tapped against the counter surface as the ringing tone continued with no end in sight. His forehead furrowed in anger and fear, begging her to answer. A clear note then signaled that the phone company had disconnected the call, and Goku growled darkly, slamming the headpiece harshly against the holder. His hands grasped the cabinet tops as a cold sweat sprung upon his forehead.

What was happening?

His mind reached out, sensing, searching for any sign that could lead him in the right direction. He checked the people off as he felt them, counting down the people with relief, yet anxiety. Goten, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, and Trunks…was that all? His eyes snapped open as he stared forward, contemplating what could have possibly happened without his knowing.

_What the hell is happening? Where is Bulma and Vegeta? And 18? And Gohan and Chi-chi? What the hell happened last night?_

Goku pounded his fists against the cabinet, paying no attention to the small pieces of tile that cracked and sliced his calloused hand. Goku closed his eyes, trying to think of something to do next, when a small, meek voice interrupted his troubled thoughts.

"Daddy? What's wrong?"

When Goku turned, his eyes fell upon a heart-breaking sight. Goten stood with his head tilted down just slightly, looking rather guilty thinking that he was the cause of his father's anger, and had one of his thumbs just barely between his lips. He stared so innocently towards Goku that the burly saiyan just had to smile.

Goten watched him quietly, patiently waiting for an answer, still clothed in his dark blue and white pajamas. Goku calmed himself down, and knelt down, beckoning his son to him. Goten was hesitant at first, yet soon walked a few steps closer, eager to hear an explanation.

"Well," started Goku, "it seems as though a bunch of our friends are missing."

Goten blinked curiously, and quickly replied.

"Like who, Daddy?"

It was cute. His son never called him 'Daddy' whenever he was around everyone else. It was understandable, of course, but Goku still found it adorable how his son tried to seem so much older around his friends.

"Well, Mom's gone, and Bulma, and Gohan, and Vegeta's missing too…"

As he spoke, he focused more deeply, searching desperately for the slightest bit of power, hoping to have been mistaken, when he suddenly realized that those closest to him were not the only ones that had seemed to disappear. Puar and Oolong were gone as well, and with this new search, he realized that Yamcha's power was diminishing. Goku's head snapped up as he stared forward, realizing that Yamcha was dying, most probably because of whatever had attacked during the night. His fingers snapped to his forehead, but he paused, remembering that his power would shift drastically if he used the Instant Transmission, and if the offenders were still on the planet, they might detect it and come to kill him off as well (since Vegeta must have been nothing compared to them since Goku hadn't noticed any drastic shift in his power during the night). He quickly stood up and looked down to his son.

"Come on, but stay a ways behind me…"

He didn't want to fly to Yamcha, only to drag his youngest son to a valley of blood and gore, and he wasn't about to leave him alone. He didn't know what to expect. Goku then turned and ran to the door, launching himself off the ground. He flew as quickly as possible to where Yamcha lay drawing what could easily be his last breath. Goku's noble face was contorted with fear and pain, yet nothing had been solidified through visual proof.

Goten followed his dad, keeping just far enough to ease whatever was bothering his father, still wearing his t-shirt and pants that had been converted to night clothes when they were too big for daily use. He didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was, he could feel that it was something big. He remembered all the stories he had been told of great evil beings from other planets. Stories about Frieza and how his dad first turned Super Saiyan, and other stories about how his brother surpassed the Super Saiyan and defeated Cell with a Kamehameha wave. And he remembered Buu…

Goten grinned cleverly as excitement brimmed within his eyes. This could be another chance for him to prove himself, and _he_ would be the great hero who would win and be adored forever and ever. His childish thoughts of fame stopped instantly when his father began slowly lowering himself to the ground. He scanned the field quickly, but didn't see anything interesting, mainly thanks to the long grasses that concealed a certain prize. Goku's eyes were wide with fear as his feet finally touched the ground. A soft whimpering reached his ears and he knew exactly from whom it came.

Yamcha…

He rushed forward, falling onto his hands and knees as he neared the place where his old friend lay hidden by the long grasses of the field. He brushed aside the stems to find his friend, stomach down, lying on the ground with blood soaking his clothes and the land around him. Goku gasped and fell forward yet again, instantly landing to Yamcha's side.

At this sudden movement, Yamcha turned his head to gaze upon who had come while torrents of fear poured from his eyes. He looked up to see a large, powerful form looming over him with a head drenched in darkness. A scream more painful and fearful then Goku thought possible erupted from the depths of Yamcha's soul, and, although his body was obviously plagued with paralyzing wounds, he took every inch of strength he had left to drag himself away from Goku, screaming hysterically and mumbling incoherent words.

Goku withdrew slightly, hurt firstly, and then worried at his old friends actions towards him. It was a pathetic sight, one that pained him greatly. Yamcha barely inched away from him, trying his hardest to get away, screaming and sobbing all the while.

"No! You…Puar. Die! Bastard, no! Go away, leave! Me… Bulma… Goku!"

Goku watched, horrified at the scene that played before his eyes, yet lunged towards him again and grabbing Yamcha's arm.

"Yamcha! Calm down, please! It's me, Goku! What happened?"

Yamcha tensed when Goku's hands clasped his bloody arm, yet when he heard Goku reveal his name, he turned his head around quickly to solidify those words. He narrowed his eyes, obviously scanning Goku carefully, yet soon his entire body relaxed and he spoke one word that held so much joy and relief, Goku's fears for his friends could only increase.

"Goku…"

Yamcha he fell back onto the ground with his eyes closed contently. Goku yelled out Yamcha's name and quickly grasped the old desert-bandits' shoulders, lifting him from the ground and supporting him with his knee. He held his old friend, begging for him to open his eyes, and just when he was convinced of his old friend's fate, Yamcha slowly opened his eyes, looking up to Goku with a happy little smile resting pleasantly upon his battered face. Goku breathed a sigh of relief, but he gently shook his friend's shoulders, speaking the question that had long plagued his mind.

"What happened, Yamcha?"

Yamcha just stared up at the powerful man that had at one time been nothing but a strange little boy from the woods, and watched him, seeming as though he hadn't even heard the question. He closed his eyes, but quickly reopened them as tears caressed his cheeks, carving paths through the dried blood and dirt that had collected through his trial. He laughed behind his pain, smiling brightly, and spoke carefully, obviously thinking about things other then Goku's question.

"Goku…I knew you'd come. A little late, I guess…"

At this, Yamcha laughed painfully again, and Goku leaned forward to better support his friend. Goku's sharp eyes quickly skimmed over Yamcha's body, horrified to see the extent of the damages. At least one leg was broken with the bone piercing through the skin, and someone had taken the liberty of beating in his chest until every rib was broken. Yamcha then spoke again with undoubted difficulty.

"Goku, why'd I ever stop training? I could have at least helped her…It's all my fault, they have her, those bastards took her…"

Goku tensed at this and lightly shook his shoulders again.

"Who? Who has her? What are you talking about? Yamcha, please tell me!"

Goku's eyes pleaded for answers, desperate for something to point him in the right direction. Yamcha just stared towards him, holding a distant look in his eyes. It was one of reflection and regret, of joy and utter despair. He coughed a bit and broke through the barrier of blood that attempted to halt the passage of air within his throat.

"Goku…he looked so much like you. Saiyan, I bet. I could have sworn you joined them, but I knew you wouldn't do something like that. I knew it, but no one else did. No one believed me…I knew you were going to come, I had faith. Goku…they…they killed Puar…She was just sitting there, watching me fight them, and they just flew over and…and killed her. They were horrible…they laughed at me, played with me like some toy. They flew away, to take Bulma away…"

He paused softly as his eyes changed to a more gentle air.

"…Bulma…I was such an idiot. I played her like a fool…"

He paused, his eyes narrowed the slightest measure, reflecting upon the many fights he and her had, and the many times where his hate and depression drove him to insanity. He didn't ever really like fighting, and since Bulma was a very jealous woman, it didn't matter if he was just asking directions from some girl or if he lent a helping hand to a single mother, with four kids seven years and younger, unload a van full of groceries. Bulma couldn't take it, and she would always start screaming at him, constantly yelling and causing him to fight back in defense.

She might have felt nothing from those fights, but he had always felt degraded and ashamed, belittled and hated at the end of those little skirmishes. He'd end up going to a bar to have a drink, but then he'd have another, and another, and another until he found himself in his apartment with some girl in his bed. He closed his eyes, pausing simply to reflect over his words.

"I should have treated her better…I mean, she went to Vegeta to soothe her pain. I never meant to hurt her that much. Goku, I loved her so much, I still do. I can't get her face out of my head, and those eyes. Those damn eyes…"

He closed his eyes tightly now, quietly remembering her fiery eyes burning with such a godly beauty and grace that even the more satanic of beasts would fall to their knees before her gaze, simply to praise and worship her. He reopened his eyes, looking towards the sky rather then his dear old friend and protector, and sighed carefully.

"Goku, I'm sorry. I should have never tried to steal the dragon balls from you. I should have just rotted away in the desert. It's all I deserve, at least. Goku, go save her, please. I don't know where they went, but I know that they…that they kept asking about you, calling you Kakarot like Vegeta does…They said something about Vegeta too, but I…can't really remember. I have no doubts Goku, they were Saiyans. I couldn't see their tails, but they kept calling him Prince Vegeta, and they…they were just too strong."

Goku stared in shock towards his normally shallow friend, hearing every word and feeling every ounce of pure emotion that dripped from Yamcha's lips, yet he still couldn't believe that it was Yamcha who was talking. He never acted like this, and if anything, everyone had always thought that he believed it was the best choice for him and Bulma to end their relationship. But no, he had simply hidden behind a strange mask of guilt, knowing she would be happier with the Prince of Saiyans then she could ever be with him. Goku blinked, feeling so much sympathy for the dying man before him, and he spoke softly to ease the troubled heart.

"Yamcha, don't beat yourself up over this. Don't worry, I'll get her back in no time, and I'll kill them all. Yamcha, just wait here, I'll go to Karin and grab you a senzu bean, and you'll be good as new…"

Yamcha lifted a bloody hand, trying to get his attention, and when Goku paused, the beaten man grinned behind a blazing aura of irony.

"Nah, don't worry about me. Just go figure out where they took her, and make sure they don't…do anything. Go on, before it's too late…"

Goku stared at his friend as Yamcha closed his eyes, obviously waiting for Goku to turn and fly away, but he didn't move an inch and just held his old, beaten friend. Yamcha had never been the kind of person to think of himself last, but here, everything was different. Maybe he was going delusional, or possibly his wounds were so great, that he knew nothing could save him in time. Yet another possibility was that he truly loved Bulma as much as he had said, not caring whether he lived or died, only wishing for the idol of his life to live happily until the end of her days.

Goku stared at him, and Yamcha knew he wasn't going to leave him alone. In so many ways, he was angry that Goku was compassionate enough to stay with a friend that was dying, and that he wasn't jumping up and flying off to save the day like always. But in one of the deepest sectors of his heart, he was glad. Glad to be important enough to someone like Goku that he'd rather stay to comfort the pangs and queer experience of death.

No one ever really realized what they had until it was gone, it was simply a universal fact. But for some reason, even when all of the great Saiyan's friends lost their grand protector to the cold grasp of death, they still didn't fully understand what they had. They had the most powerful warrior the universe had ever unearthed, who would do anything to protect them, and loved them with such a deep love that their deaths only brought about pain and misery.

Yamcha, however, stared up at the man cloaked in robes of the richest orange hue and knew exactly what the planet had.

An angel.

Goku's eyes were narrowed sadly as he watched his friend, making sure that Yamcha knew he wasn't going to leave any time soon. Yamcha then smiled and tilted his head slightly, and would have shrugged his shoulders had he more spunk left in his battered form.

"Suit yourself, just promise me this Goku," spoke Yamcha, his voice taking upon a much weaker air. He coughed a brittle cough that distorted his speech and flecked his sweet blood across the orange savior before him.

"Save her, bring her back here so…so she can live the life I should have been able to give, but was too much of an idiot to accept. Please, take her from harm for me…please…"

His voice was so weak, his eyes so powerfully passionate, and the muscles across his entire body so tense with fear and disgrace that shudders softly shook his battered form as he pleaded his final wish. His eyes suddenly paused, as though they had forgotten the turmoil that burned away his soul, and a pure and utter calm consumed his entire body.

His face relaxed and his eyes fell back, and his hand drifted from its previous hold upon Goku's powerful arm to the ground, resting for eternity consumed by the servitude of calm death. Goku's eyes brimmed with warm tears as he watched his old friend's life fade away, and when finally the old bandit spoke his very last word, those same, gentle eyes widened with fear.

He stared for a long while, hoping that all this had been a dream, and closed his eyes softly, unable to believe the fate that had yet again befallen the warrior. He leaned forward, his head bowed low above Yamcha's beaten chest, and two tears fell from Goku's face. One fell upon the old fighter's chest, just above his heart, while the other fell upon his hand, covered with dried strips of blood and thick mud.

Goku sat still for a long while, hanging his grand head over the shell of what had once been one of his greatest allies. He stayed silent, unmoving and unchanging, with his eyes closed and his mind lost in dark, brooding thoughts. Yamcha had fallen with nothing but regret and love burning in his eyes, pleading to Goku to save the only thing he truly held dear. He had died begging for him to save Bulma, and Goku wasn't about to leave that final request unmet. He closed his eyes and bowed his head only a touch more.

"I promise…"


	5. Explanation

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**Explanation**_

**AN** – _Yeah! It's done! A little later then I thought, but this week I had like, no sleep, so I was in no mood to write anything. Luckily, my brain finally got accustomed to the days that had less then 4 hours of sleep, and I had the urge to write again. Yeah! –cough- anyway, it's a long chapter! w00t! Be happy! -weird laugh- o.o; and yes, I'm still tired, but I think this'll do. Please review, it's always nice to know that at least someone out there's reading. XD Besides you Dark kai. Tankie again for reviewing. _

And so, Yamcha was dead. Nothing but a shell, a corpse, a skeleton. He had been a man that had seen so many things, yet now, everything he had experienced meant nothing. The world would never look upon him with reverence, and would simply continue with its life, unknowing and uncaring. Goku stayed silent for a long while, yet he suddenly became aware of a pair of eyes that lingered upon his back. He slowly lifted his head, and carefully turned it to gaze upon the one that so quietly watched him. It was Goten, and the Goku's eyes widened when he realized his son had watched the whole scenario play out. Goten just stood there quietly watching his father, and took a cautious step forward while a thousand emotions burned within his eyes.

"Daddy…?"

Goku laid Yamcha's body onto the ground and turned his whole body to Goten, placing his bloodied hands on his son's small shoulders.

"Goten, why don't we go over to Trunks' house, just to hang out for a couple hours?"

Goten stared innocently towards his dad, watching him carefully, but soon that disturbing look in his son's eyes shifted to a much more joyful aura.

"Sure Dad!"

Goku smiled, though his eyes still held a tormented look. He didn't know what could be happening, but he knew that going to the Capsule Corp would definitely answer some things. So, with Goten's reply, they shot off into the air, flying eastward to reach the coast of West City. Soon, the great yellow dome rested on the horizon, and they halted just above the building. Goku hovered, scanning the corridors of the corporation, ensuring that no unknown creature hid within its halls. Goku's eyes narrowed after completing his quick scan, for the results showed that Trunks was still the only one he could sense, excluding Bulma's parents, and that troubled him deeply. Goten squirmed, anxious to see his best friend, when suddenly the door flew open and a small, dark figure suddenly ran out onto the lawn. Both eyes fell towards the figure and watched as Trunks looked up at them.

Goten quickly flew to the ground, landing firmly as his father slowly followed his example. Trunks smiled brightly, obviously happy to see his friend, but his eyes didn't hold the same carefree look. Goten ran forward gleefully and the two giggled for a second before Trunks diverted his attention and looked to Goku. Those young blue eyes were narrowed just slightly from confusion and were tainted with a sliver of fear. Goku looked down to Trunks, smiling warmly as he greeted the only son of his oldest friend.

"Mornin' Trunks. Where's your mom?"

Trunks' eyes grew darker at this. He blinked and then focused onto the ground.

"I donno…"

His voice was very soft, too soft, actually. Goku snapped his eyes at this, knowing well that boys his age had yet to learn how to speak a lie boldly.

"Trunks, tell me. Where is she?"

Trunks bent his head down carefully, and all he did was barely raise his shoulders in reply. Goku's fear increased, believing that Trunks knew more about what happened then he was letting on. His eyes narrowed sternly and his face became contorted with the smallest touch of irritation.

"Trunks, tell me! Don't keep something like this a secret!"

He winced at his harsh demand, and he bowed his head deeper, pushing his chin against his chest. He barely spoke a whisper, obviously scared about something.

"I'm not supposed to tell you…"

Goku's eyes widened and he dropped quickly to his knees. Trunks stepped back in surprise, but Goku's hands grasped the boy's shoulders before he could retreat any further.

"Trunks, just tell me. Don't worry, I'll be able to fix everything. Just trust me. I can help her…"

Trunks squirmed slightly, diverting his gaze to a dandelion that lay to his right.

"But Dad said I shouldn't tell you 'cause-"

Goku's eyes snapped open at this, and he shook him harshly enough to get the boy to stop talking.

"Your dad? Where is he? Trunks, answer me!"

The desperation in his voice caused the purple-haired boy to look up at him, and he stared for a while until Goku's eyes began to narrow in anger.

"He said I shouldn't tell you where he is either. He said you'll kill him if you see him too soon or something…"

Goku blinked at the child's reply, and he allowed a smile to grace his lips.

"Aw, now why would I wanna kill your dad?"

Trunks just shrugged and finally met Goku's gaze, obviously feeling much more comfortable thanks to Goku's lighter words.

"I donno, he just told me that he didn't want you to know where he was. Somethin' about people dying, and about Mom being gone."

Goku paused as a small suspicion pried at his heart. Why would Vegeta try to hide? …No, he wouldn't have. Would he? He had been here for at least 7 years and hadn't tried to pull anything, and why would he have done anything now? Goku's eyes narrowed as his mind bent itself in thought. No, if Vegeta had been the one to kill them, then Yamcha would have jumped at the chance to put the blame on him. All he had said was that they asked about him, that didn't mean that they came at his request, whoever they were. Goku looked back into Trunk's eyes and smiled warmly again.

"Ah, he's probably just pulling your leg. Could you tell me where he is? I gotta ask him something."

Trunks popped out a smile and nodded briskly, grabbing Goku's arm quickly. Trunks led his two guests into the house, expertly sliding through the hallways and massive rooms of the Capsule Corp. He soon brought them to the stairs that led to the second floor and quickly covered the flight to the next level of the house. He then turned down the hallway and stopped by a door that Goku had seen only a few times before. It was Bulma's (and Goku supposed that it was Vegeta's as well) bedroom and the door was barely cracked open. Trunks let go of Goku's arm and pointed inside. With his other hand, he drew his finger to his lips to signal the need for secrecy. Goku nodded innocently and lifted onto the tips of his toes. He carefully pushed the door open and slid inside quietly, leaving the two boys standing outside.

It was dark, and he paused to let his eyes to adjust to the light. He could hear someone mumbling, and when his eyes were finally adapted, he glanced over to see Vegeta sitting on the end of the bed, hunched over in deep thought. Goku blinked as Vegeta mumbled strange words, occasionally contorting his face or clenching his fists in anger. He straightened up and cocked his head slightly to one side.

"Vegeta?"

Vegeta snapped his head up the second Goku's voice touched his ears. His eyes were wide with shock for but a second before they hardened into his characteristically strict facade. He glared towards Goku with his arms still resting on his legs, and he rose his lip just slightly while waiting for Goku to continue speaking. Goku blinked for a moment, watching Vegeta carefully, and he noticed that he could suddenly sense the shorter man's ki. He then realized that Vegeta had been masking his ki, probably to allow himself more time to think before people flocked to him for an answer. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling awkward, before finally speaking again.

"Uh…what are you doing?"

Vegeta growled deeply in the back of his throat and snapped out a reply that held enough harshness to ensure the buffoon before him knew of his agitation.

"Trying to think, what does it look like to you?"

Goku blinked again, but he shrugged off the question, feeling it better not to answer.

"Look, I came here to see if Trunks knew anything, and it ends up that you're here when I thought you were dead. So tell me, what the hell's going on?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to Goku, and once the younger man was finished, his gaze fell to the ground in thought.

"To hell if I know."

Goku's eyes snapped wide open and he clenched his fists before him as he squawked out words.

"What! How can you not know?"

Vegeta snapped his gaze back to Goku, and he glared at his foolish reaction.

"How can _you_ not know, Fool?"

Goku paused in his minor flash of hysteria and blinked, obviously just realizing the point the smaller Saiyan had made. Vegeta rolled his eyes and focused onto the window that was just barely ajar. A soft wind blew inside and barely nudged the translucent curtains into the air.

"Thought so."

Silence filled the room, Vegeta due to thought and Goku due to the lack of decent questions to ask, but after a moment, Vegeta's voice touched the air once more.

"Kakarot, Yamcha just died, didn't he?"

Goku blinked, surprised that Vegeta would ask a question like that. He nodded cautiously and tenderly replied.

"Yeah, beaten to death."

Vegeta's interest increased at this, but his face stayed unmoving and calm.

"You got to him before he died?"

Goku lowered his gaze, not wanting to think about his friend's recent death.

"Yes…"

Vegeta quickly interrupted before Goku could continue with his drawn out exhale.

"Did he tell you anything?"

Goku looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, he said something about how he thought they were Saiyans. He said that they killed Puar, and that they took Bulma."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

"Did he see their tails?"

Goku shook his head lightly.

"He said he couldn't see any tails–"

"Then why did he think they were Saiyans?"

Goku recoiled slightly due to the rude interruption, but he decided that it was best to answer the temperamental man's question.

"He said that they kept asking things about you and me. He said that they called me Kakarot, and that they called you Prince Vegeta."

Vegeta scoffed.

"That doesn't mean a damn thing."

Goku blinked again, obviously shocked at what Vegeta had just said.

"What do you mean? I just said that he said that they called-"

"I heard you the first time. You can't suppose that someone is a Saiyan unless you see their tail."

Goku blinked, confused about what Vegeta was telling him. Who else would call Vegeta 'Prince'? Vegeta closed his eyes and nodded his head curtly, making some sort of unknown decision in his mind. He looked back to Goku and sighed,.

"Well, I don't think we should make any decisions until we speak with those still present. Gather your little friends. Especially that Namek, he probably knows more than anyone."

Goku paused, watching Vegeta carefully, and he nodded timidly, still bewildered about what was happening. Goku placed two fingers to his head and focused on Piccolo's ki. He fazed out and Vegeta waited patiently, sensing as Goku's power jumped across the globe as he collected his remaining friends. As the group of ki began to grow to its maximum, Vegeta stood up and walked downstairs, completely ignoring the two young boys that stood by the door. He quickly found a place upon the wall, and leaned against it just as Goku reappeared with a mass of people. His eyes quickly darted around the room, taking note to all those present. Krillin stood to Goku's right, while Piccolo and Tien stood to his left. Vegeta's eyes narrowed just slightly after his swift scan, and his gaze fell to the floor. Krillin rubbed the back of his smooth head, feeling awkward from the tense silence that had fallen over the group, and he plopped down onto a couch and put his arms back.

"Well, what do you guys think happened? I didn't sense a thing."

Piccolo glanced around the room, quiet and strong as always, and Tien looked to the ground with something burning in his eyes, looking rather disgruntled from some sort of skirmish he had taken part in beforehand. Goku followed the two that had sat, yet placed himself on the ground. The tall tricloptic man suddenly spoke out, surprising those in the room.

"Well…I was there…"

Everyone's puzzled eyes snapped towards Tien, watching him carefully and attentively while waiting for him to continue.

"I...I don't really know how to start…"

Piccolo's powerful voice softly rumbled from a corner.

"From the beginning, I want to see if what I felt from the Lookout is anything close to what really happened."

Tien lifted his eyes to Piccolo and nodded respectively. He may have at one time been a threat to the planet, but there wasn't a single person among them that didn't feel a deep respect towards Piccolo.

"Right. Well…me and Chaotzu had been training late; I would have guessed that it was about midnight, give'r take an hour or so, when he noticed something in the sky. He pointed it out to me, and we watched it as it streaked several miles overhead and landed far to the south of us. We waited for a while, not really sure what to do, when a few other streaks followed the same path. We finally flew off to check it out, and we came to these craters that were near that wasteland where you and Vegeta fought."

His eyes strayed to Goku, completely ignoring that fact that Vegeta was present. He still remembered that fight all too well, and he was not a forgiving soul to any extent. The offence he had been delivered from Vegeta's presence on that day would never fade, nor would the hatred that burned within his heart. He brushed his thoughts aside and continued.

"Anyway, we stayed there a while, and just as one of the ships started to open, Yamcha came, with Puar following a ways behind. I think she wasn't supposed to come, but she did anyway. He looked down at the craters and flew a little closer to me and Chaotzu, and I asked him if Goku was coming. He said that he knew he would, and that I shouldn't worry. This guy dressed up in those Saiyan outfits came out of one and looked around, then pushed this button on his scouter, and the other three pods opened. Other people dressed up in the same style stepped out and looked around, talking to each other before they noticed us.

"The first guy, who was obviously their leader, flew up to us and his men followed. He asked, 'Are you Tenshinhan?', and I nodded, and then he looked at Yamcha and grinned. 'Then you must be Yamcha, eh?', and Yamcha nodded. The leader's grin grew and he spoke to his men without turning his head. We couldn't understand what he had said, since he spoke in another language, and after he stopped talking, the guys behind him chuckled.

"He folded his arms across his chest and asked me if I knew Kakarot, and I said yes. He nodded to himself and asked if I knew where he was. I told him, 'He'll be here soon enough, don't you worry about that.' They all broke into laughter, and the leader spoke again, telling me, 'You put too much trust in him. He's a Saiyan, you know, and they're never reliable.' Yamcha then lashed out at him, 'What do you know? Goku's no ordinary Saiyan, he'll be here, and he'll kick your asses so badly you'll be pleading for mercy!' They started laughing again, and the leader pointed towards the sky. 'Look for yourself, and tell me how well you know your friend.' We all turned to look, and there, just floating up in the air as if he owned the world, was Goku, or so I thought, with Chichi thrown over his shoulder.

"The sky was dark, and he nearly blended in, but I could see. It was Goku, without a doubt, but I couldn't sense him, but I realized that he must have masked his ki so we wouldn't think anything was going on. It wasn't his hair that I recognized, since it was too dark to see his outline, but I did see his gi."

Tien paused as he looked to Goku who, as always, was wearing his infamous orange gi. Goku was staring wide-eyed at the tall man, unbelieving but unable to raise his voice in argument.

"I saw that, and knew it had to be Goku. I mean, who else could it have been? I could feel Krillin off to the east of us, Yamcha was next to me, and Goku was the only other person I knew that wore anything that even slightly resembled that gi of theirs. He floated towards us with this realy…really…creepy smile on his face. Chichi was still, I could have sworn she was dead, but as Goku passed in front of me to float beside the first guy, I could see that her eyes were wide open. She looked towards me, silently pleading for me to help her, but I couldn't do anything. Especially if Goku was the one that held her. Goku then spoke to the, his voice lower and a bit more rugged than usual, but it sounded exactly the same. 'So, Tenk, I see that your journey went well. Took you long enough.' The leader then bowed his head and placed his left hand over his heart with his fingers pointing directly to his neck. 'Forgive me sir, we ran into a little difficulty when one of our comrades had a bit of technical difficulty.'

"Goku snorted, his face so worn with a painful darkness that I was in shock from his eyes alone. None of us knew what the hell we should do, so we just stood there as the man that looked so much like Goku kept talking to the man that we knew as Tenk. 'That shouldn't have made a difference. Bah, what's done is done. Take this wench; she'll gain us at least a raise in our levels back at base. He won't expect us to bring him an Earth woman.' He threw Chichi to Tenk, who caught her effortlessly and threw her back to his men as though she were nothing but a bag of trash. One of the taller ones caught her and tucked her under his arm.

"Tenk then nodded, obviously pleased at their extra prize, when Goku spoke again, 'Let's continue our mission, there's another woman that I'm sure He'll be happy to have. Lord Vegeta's mate.' Yamcha tensed when he spoke, but stayed in his place. Tenk raised an eyebrow, obviously very interested to hear that bit of information, and his disgusting grin grew. 'Oh? His mate, eh? Aye, that will be a grand prize, except we'll have to face Prince Vegeta just to get near her.' His face contorted with disappointment, but Goku just grinned. 'No worries there, I brought that new drug that hides you from scouters.' Tenk's eyes widened as he stared at Goku, 'Is that why I couldn't detect you?' Goku nodded and held up a small vile. He threw the container towards Tenk and he caught it easily, looking at it carefully. He lifted his eyes to Goku with surprise flickering darkly in his eyes. 'But, it hasn't been approved yet! How did you get it…?' Goku only smiled at Tenk, and the strange man had his answer. 'Ah, I see. Yes, I should have known you were one to deal with the Market. So, you think it'll work?'

"Goku nodded confidently, grinning sadistically all the while, and said, 'Of course it'll work. Just distribute that amongst your men and they can walk right up to the Prince, give the drug to the woman while she's sleeping in his arms, and walk right back out without even alarming him.' The men behind Tenk stared wide-eyed towards the one who spoke, their eyes proving their shock and excitement. Tenk nodded and pulled a small needle with a rubber top from his pocket. He slipped off the top and pushed the point inside of the lid, drawing a very small amount into the container. He turned his head to his men and called out orders, and they approached him, extended their arms, and were delivered the drug. It took only a moment before I could no longer sense their ki, and, after delivering the drug to himself, Tenk pushed the button on the side of his scouter and smiled brightly, obviously very pleased with the results.

"Goku just smiled at him and suddenly spoke. 'Tenk, send out a few of your men to gather up a few of those He asked. We'll come back for the rest, since He wouldn't give us a ship to transport them. Make sure to administer that drug to those you do gather, otherwise _Soe Bardock_ will find us before he's supposed to.' Tenk nodded and turned to his men. He pointed to two of them, quickly barking out an order, '_Venute! Sorn! Veiren, se ouk eh tu, fardo zor no Gohan, k u?' _The two nodded and shot away while Tenk watched. After the two were gone from sight, he turned to the remaining guy, '_K, har seo ti oh marole Bulma_.' The one he talked to nodded and they started to fly off to the east to get to Capsule Corp. Yamcha jumped in front of them, which shocked me that he'd try to fight them like that.

"They stared at him, almost as though they were surprised that someone else was there. I think they forgot we were even there. But Yamcha had a weird look in his eyes as he yelled at them, 'I will not let you take her.' His voice was so venomous, I would have never guessed in a thousand years that it came from him."

Tien paused in his rather detailed speech, dropping his eyes to the ground in sadness.

"But it had. They just laughed at him and pushed him out of the way. They started flying away when he blocked their path yet again. Tenk narrowed his eyes as his anger began to rise, and he lifted the side of his lip, 'Get out of our way, or we'll obliterate you.' Yamcha didn't even flinch at their words; he was too focused to care. It was…almost too much. I mean, I thought you were suddenly just as evil as Vegeta. I just didn't know what to do. I just watched as they started fighting, and soon Puar was starting to get rash, acting like she was going to go fight them to help Yamcha. I told Chaozu to take Puar and leave. To go off some place safe, since I could see that those jackasses were starting to beat the hell outta Yamcha. And I thought they left like I told them to, I really thought they had…"

His eyes narrowed angrily and he quietly reminisced over the events that had taken place. A tense anxiety had consumed everyone present as they listened to Tien's story, anxiety building upon their minds as his story began to reach a painful climax.

"…I attacked one of them, and we started fighting. Goku was just…floating there, watching us with…with that look…."

His anger increased suddenly as everything around him faded from existence. His eyes narrowed so darkly and hatefully that everyone withdrew in shock. A rage burned within his eyes at the memory, at the prying. His eyes twitched, the walls of protection about his form threatening to break and unleash the true furry he bore. But no. He paused, recollecting himself quickly and calming is brewing nerves. He returned his attention to the group before him, his eyes flashing darkly as he spoke, getting straight to the point.

"They beat Yamcha badly, after killing Puar, and laughed when Chaotzu tried to help. They knocked me out cold, supposedly getting bored with us, and I woke up in some field about ten minutes before Goku found me. And that's all I know…"

Silence consumed the room as each mind bent in concentration towards their newfound information. Piccolo nodded, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the small group.

"Yes, then what I sensed was true."

All eyes snapped towards the Namekian, a few in curiosity while the rest were still clouded in confusion and fear. Krillin blinked and straightened up.

"Then why didn't you go help them? I didn't feel a thing, otherwise I woulda been there in a snap."

A few glanced towards Krillin as he spoke, shocked that he dared speak suspiciously (although his voice held no such unsurity) towards the revered Piccolo. The Namek's strong, black eyes fell calmly upon the monk, watching him silently for a moment before speaking.

"Why? It's simple. I had been watching their ki carefully when they entered our solar system, but I didn't think they were too much of a threat. When they landed, however, their power changed – I'm still not sure why – so I decided to watch them a while longer before attacking. I hadn't noticed the other you spoke of, however, but that drug you described could very well be why."

Piccolo paused as Vegeta shifted the smallest measure. His eyes flicked from the ground to land upon the haughty Saiyan prince, watching him until others diverted their attention as well. Vegeta snapped his gaze from the far wall to the array of faces that speckled the room. A powerful eyebrow rose in calm, bored curiosity as his strong voice rumbled against his throat.

"What?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he calculated the prince and, after a few moments of silence, spoke again.

"Well?"

Vegeta glared at him, irritation beginning to burn within his dark eyes.

"Well what? Why are you all looking at me? Is breathing a sin?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, ensuring that Vegeta knew of the seriousness of the situation. He said nothing, and the two simply glared at one another. Vegeta scoffed and turned his head away, unleashing a sigh before answering Piccolo's question.

"Is that all you know?"

His eyes never left the wall, but everyone knew that the question was directed towards Tien. He blinked, a little shocked that no venomous insult followed the query, yet he shook it off and answered tenderly.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

The prince nodded, his gaze still focused upon the pale walls that enclosed the living room.

"Then I'll fill in the blanks."

The group withdrew in shock and disbelief. Everyone stared towards Vegeta as Goku stepped forward, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

"But you said you weren't there…"

Vegeta snarled as he snapped his eyes towards Goku, and he glared coldly at the taller Saiyan as his voice boomed throughout the house.

"I know, and what I said was true. But I know enough about planetary customs to know what the hell happened."

Everyone settled back down at the explanation, ready to hear what he had to say. Vegeta sighed, glancing towards the ground before resting his eyes upon the same wall, and timidly began his own explanation.

**AN –**_I wanted to make a few side notes. I know, if this is after Buu, Krillin wouldn't be bald, but I don't care. I'm the author and I'll make him bald if I want to D: XP Anyway, a few things you guys might be curious about. The three italicized things in Tien's speech was of two different languages. The first was where the Goku-look alike said 'Soe Bardock'. That is Saiyan for 'Son Bardock', which is referring to Goku obviously, and although the other guys don't know Saiyan, that phrase has been used commonly enough for them to know what it means. You'll probably see it in coming chapters. The other two orders were made in the language Hudonen, which is spoken by Tenk and his men. You probably don't care what they said, or could figure it out on your own, but they were just saying 'Go get Gohan' and 'Get Bulma' XD simple enough, yes? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! _


	6. One More Day

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**One More Day**_

**AN –** _Hello again. Well, nothing much happened last chapter, and the same goes for this one. Sorry about the exceptionally boring places, for some reason I had a blast. O.o; anyway, here's the next chapter. O.o; Any suggestions, comments, or anything at all are welcome. _

Silence tightly consumed the room once more as every pair of eyes fell upon the cold-hearted prince. His eyes were still focused on the same far wall as his normally rugged and hateful voice quietly spoke, as though he felt he were molesting some boundary of social order in the group.

"Yes, well, from the sounds of your story, I think you left out a few details that could prove more important than you believed. The 'drug' that you described was something that was being tested before I left to Earth all those years ago. Many people were becoming desperate to not be so easily found by the scouters that had been invented, so several groups had come together to invent something that would mask the life ki that scouters detect. I know that there were several drugs starting to emerge, however most of them had yet to be tested to fit the standards of the…"

He paused for a moment, though it wasn't due to his lack of knowledge as to what it was called. He had paused through cautiousness in how he should describe it, since he knew the name wouldn't mean a thing to the Earthlings before him.

"It would be sort of like an organization that regulated trade, basically. To sell something to another planet, your product would have to pass certain guidelines. Of course, new drugs like that were rarely passed by the TARC, but there are other ways of selling something without abiding by the law. They call it the Market, which you mentioned, and it's basically like a massive group of smugglers that get their hands on rare items that you can't just sell in the normal market. Things like rare weaponry, antiques, drugs, natural resources, people, and scalps."

"Scalps, Vegeta? As in, human scalps?"

Krillin's voice interrupted his explanation, and Vegeta paused at the reactions he received.

"Yes, I said scalps and I meant it. But they weren't from just any random person. It was sort of like a status symbol. If you and your rich friends got together, you'd bring your rarest, most valuable items to show off your wealth, and after a few centuries, it became popular for them to have the scalps of kings or generals from across the universe. It's why Saiyans got along so well without having to do anything but fight. Scalp the king of the planet you just purged and get away with an extra thousand."

He paused again to recollect his thoughts.

"Anyway, I have no doubt that the drug they took was one of the prototypes that actually worked. I'm sure that it wears off eventually, and if what you said was true, then I'm sure that we'll be able to sense Gohan soon enough. Things like that never linger in the system of a Saiyan for long. So, that'll solve our _immediate_ problems…"

Vegeta's voice suddenly fell soft, and his eyes fell to the ground with a slight worry flickering momentarily within his eyes. Piccolo arched his eyebrow, watching the speaker carefully. Vegeta knew a great deal more then he let on, but it was to be expected from someone that lived so long in space. Vegeta put the slightest amount of emphasis on his first word to give more passion towards what he was about to say.

"However, there is…something that is disturbing me deeply. You…"

His eyes flickered towards Tien for the first time throughout this whole ordeal.

"Could you describe the man you thought was Kakarot?"

Tien blinked as he watched Vegeta, not really understanding what he meant but thinking it better to answer the question. Vegeta was acting a little more unnerved the usual, which meant something had to be wrong.

"Well…he…uh, looked like Goku. Through and through. His hair, his face, his eyes, just everything. I mean, his eyes looked a lot angrier, and he acted a bit more sophisticated then usual, but besides how he was acting, there wasn't a damn thing that was different about him."

Vegeta studied Tien carefully as the three-eyed man spoke, and his eyes closed in thought at the reply.

"Did…did he have any scars? Like, around his neck?"

Tien raised an eyebrow as Vegeta spoke, then looked down to the ground as he tried to remember details of that precision. He stayed quiet for a long time while every soul in the room waited his reply. Tien slowly lifted his gaze, barely remembering something queer that snaked itself along the Saiyan's neck. He couldn't picture it, but he could just barely detect it, like a rock on the waters edge in a thick fog. Tien nodded weakly, and Vegeta snapped his eyes to the ground.

"So he did."

He lifted his right arm and drew it to the left side of his neck, placing a finger upon his flesh and precisely drawing it down to just above his left breast.

"About like that?"

Tien blinked, making eye contact with Vegeta in shock and everyone instantly began realizing the familiarity that rang within Vegeta's actions. Tien nodded cautiously.

"I think so…why?"

Vegeta nodded at the verbal cementation of his accusations, although he had known whom it was from the moment Tien's story introduced the fifth party.

"Then I suppose I should explain that as well. The person that you thought was Kakarot, as I'm sure all of you know by now, was not. It was a man that I've dealt with in the past by the name of Turles."

Everyone snapped up at this, easily recalling a fight they had taken part of with a Saiyan by that name. A Saiyan that looked unmistakably similar to Goku. Goku's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open slightly, staring towards Vegeta in pure shock. Vegeta, however, looked around the mass of unbelieving faces with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. After he had completed several scans, his irritation towards their reaction grew.

"What? Did you all think that Kakarot was actually the guy who did it, or are you blown away by the fact that other Saiyans have names too?"

Piccolo calmed himself quickly, realizing that Vegeta had no knowledge of the Tree of Might episode that they had all taken part.

"Vegeta, a Saiyan that looked like Goku came here once. He brought with him a massive tree that sucked all energy from the Earth and produced a great fruit. He was amazingly powerful, and ruthless as hell."

Vegeta turned his head to the Namekian with his face contorted only the slightest measure in surprise.

"The Tree of Death? He brought it here? Then…"

Vegeta's eyes snapped more harshly towards where Goku stood, and a darkness bent his eyes to a hateful glare.

"Oh, and I'm supposing you killed him too?"

Goku nodded meekly, too bewildered to think straight. At this, Vegeta allowed his head to fall back in exasperation and he closed his eyes closed tightly as his hands covered his face.

"Oh dear God, Kakarot, do you have to kill every single member of…gah…"

Vegeta quickly regained his composure and sighed, knowing that the others were completely confused, and he resituated himself into a calmer posture.

"That was your brother."

Goku made a sort of 'gawk' sound and he stepped forward.

"What! I had another brother?"

Krillin grinned, looking towards Goku, and laughed lightly.

"Hey, don't sound so amazed. You guys looked so alike, I mean, you had to have been brothers."

He chuckled a bit when Vegeta's harsh voice interrupted his merriment.

"Not _just_ a brother. A twin, obviously."

Tien blinked, quickly raising his voice in protest before the group could ignore him.

"But Goku killed him, didn't he?"

Vegeta closed his eyes, tilted his head down slightly and made a small nod.

"Yes, but I know that was him."

Piccolo turned his head towards Vegeta, his eyes narrowed with an intelligent air.

"But…"

The Namek suddenly understood and his eyes shot open at his realization. Vegeta looked towards him and nodded to solidify whatever Piccolo suddenly knew. Piccolo looked to the ground and shook his head.

"But it doesn't make any sense. Who would do that?"

Vegeta shrugged lightly, although his mind was burning with worry, fear, and in the deepest portions of his heart, excitement.

"Not too sure. Maybe someone just likes them."

Piccolo scoffed at that, and Vegeta chuckled at Piccolo's reaction. Krillin stood up quickly waving his arms around in hopes of catching their attention before they continued confusing everyone else present.

"Yo, guys. What's up? You know, we aren't all as smart as Piccolo over there."

Vegeta looked to Krillin, his face taking on a look that would be seen upon the face of a parent when their child asked where babies came from. He looked to the ground, about to speak when Piccolo took up the opportunity.

"Someone brought Turles back to life."

Krillin coughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Heh, uh, thanks, but I knew that one. Who's 'them'?"

Piccolo closed his eyes and softly gave the answer.

"Saiyans."

The group withdrew, yet again, in shock and disbelief. Many voices rose above the crowd, speaking many different reactions to what Piccolo had just said.

"What?"

"You lie!"

"Why?"

"A what?"

Everyone turned to look at Goku, who stood blinking dumbfounded, and Krillin exploded into laughter.

"Saiyans, Goku. You do know what a Saiyan is, don't you?"

Goku rubbed the back of his head and joined in the laughter.

"What! I didn't hear him."

Several people chuckled, but a bout of harsh glares from Piccolo and Vegeta quickly brought silence once more. Krillin's pleasant chuckles faded as he lifted his arm and scratched the back of his head.

"So, what does that mean for us?"

Vegeta, who had been growing more and more irritated towards their merriment, suddenly exploded at the ignorant question, his powerful voice booming throughout the entire house, enough to make the two boys who were playing in Trunks' room come out of hiding to see what had angered Vegeta so. The Prince's eyes burned with a powerful hatred.

"You fool! Do you not know what that means? They came to bring Kakarot before the Council of Leaders on Planet Vegeta! He is to be executed and you don't see its importance!"

Everyone withdrew from fear, cautiousness suddenly burning within every pair of eyes, and Krillin squeaked in surprise of the sudden outburst.

"But…uh…even if they wanted to kill him, they couldn't. I mean, they've been dead for years, and Frieza was able to kill 'um all off easily, so I highly doubt that they'll be able to get Goku."

Vegeta's lip rose and his eyes snapped to the ground in what seemed to have been defeat.

"Besides, what has Goku possibly done? I mean, if anything, they should make him King for killing Frieza. Am I right?"

Vegeta had calmed himself as Krillin spoke, though he lifted his gaze to fall upon the small monk.

"You don't get it. If they are alive, then every one of them is back. And that includes Radditz."

The others settled back down again, feeling another bout of explanations coming.

"And, as strange as this may sound to you, he'll instantly go to the Council and tell them how he died."

Goku stood suddenly, a desperate tone lying beneath his voice.

"So, even though I killed Frieza, they want to kill me because I killed Radditz when he, in the first place, had kidnapped my son and was threatening to destroy the only planet I've ever found to be a home?"

Goku's disgust at the situation was evident in his words, and Vegeta only grunted.

"Kakarot, you don't understand. The Saiyans honor family much more then you ruffians think. They look down upon people who kill their family as it is, but they loathe situations when a younger brother takes his older brother's life."

"But why? He was threatening my life, I had no other choice!"

"It doesn't matter! You, the second-born son, killed your older brother. A primal hatred burns between the two, but it is against every single code and law that has ever existed on my planet. You broke a tender law, and not only did you kill Radditz, you killed Turles as well. It's a double-hitter Kakarot. Two of your family members died by your hands, and the only reason you didn't slaughter the rest was because they were already six feet under!"

Vegeta's great voice boomed once more as he pointed to Goku with a sudden hatred burning in his eyes. Goku withdrew, surprised that Vegeta would speak to him in such a way, let alone believe it enough to say it to his face. Vegeta paused suddenly, as though he had just realized what he was saying, and he shrugged lightly and leaned back against the wall.

"Primal, Kakarot, purely primal. I could care less if you killed every member of your family, but, at the same time, something about it disgusts me. Nevertheless, that is one of the bigger reasons as to why they've come."

Krillin shifted slightly, partially out of nervousness and partially out of curiosity.

"Well, uh, if it's the Saiyans that want Goku dead, and you're the Saiyan Prince, then can't you just say 'Ahahaha, I love Kakarot, you will not kill him'?"

Vegeta glared darkly towards Krillin and sighed, shaking his head.

"It's not that simple. First of all, I don't know who has all been brought back to life. My first guess is that every Saiyan that died since the day Frieza destroyed the planet has been revived. And, if that's the case, then Lord Vegeta has been revived as well…"

His gaze lowered as a mass of confusion and dark thoughts suddenly exploded within his mind. He shook away the thoughts and continued.

"So that means that he outranks me enough to override any and all of my wishes. Of course, that will change the instant I meet with him, don't you worry about that, it's just that it takes time for things like that to play out properly, and by then Kakarot's fate would have been sealed."

Krillin coughed, hoping to stop Vegeta's explanation, and when the Prince lifted his gaze to fall upon the small monk, Krillin spoke sheepishly, feeling awkward that he had to bring this to topic.

"Uh, Vegeta, how can guys that were easy to kill 10 years ago be any match to Goku now?"

Vegeta grunted, knowing the true answer but not wanting to speak it out-loud. He sighed, and after picking a believable white lie, lifted his gaze to fall upon Krillin's face.

"Bald man, don't think I'm that much of a fool. I know that even you could kill some of the lower ranked, but that doesn't mean a damn thing. They have technology, Kid, and that same technology gives them the power to infiltrate the most secure and protected files of the universe, detect the position of a mouse from a galaxy away, and even snatch something from right under _my_ nose without even the slightest thought."

Vegeta was making some sort of point with his last statement, but no one caught it and simply dismissed it as they had his other boastful declarations. Vegeta scoffed indignantly but turned his gaze to the ground.

"To make matters even worse, although you buffoons obviously don't see the situation for what it really is, someone out there had to have used the dragon balls to bring back the Saiyan race, and to the best of my knowledge, there are no dragons that exist who only grant one wish."

Realization struck hard. Everyone suddenly understood why Vegeta and Piccolo displayed so much distress. More then one wish had been granted. The group stayed silent for a long while when Krillin's head suddenly snapped up. His eyes gleamed with a realized hope.

"Hey, you guys are forgetting! Perunga can only bring one person back at a time! That…uh…means that…"

The monk blinked as the wheels in his shiny head kept on with their toils, and he watched as Piccolo's wise head lifted from its previously lowered position.

"That means that there is at least one other dragon out there that none of us know about…"

Vegeta straightened up.

"Or someone came without our knowledge, just as Turles had, and stole away with the dragon balls. They could have taken them somewhere else to invocate the dragon, to ensure that we wouldn't be alarmed."

Nods of agreement bounced throughout the group, and silence filled the air once more. Suddenly, a squeaky voice from the second level of the house entered the conversation.

"The dragon balls, huh?"

All eyes lifted to see the young boy Trunks and his best friend Goten sitting on the second floor near the stairs, obviously having been eavesdropping on the whole conversation. A weak surprise twinkled barely within the eyes of few, and Piccolo nodded to answer the young boy's question. Trunks, who was sitting with his legs crossed and arms folded across his chest, grinned and nodded.

"If they're some place else, then Mom's radar can tells us where."

With this, he stood up and spun around with a child-like agility and ran down the hallway out of sight. Goten watched his friend go, still sitting quietly near the railing at the top of the staircase, and suddenly stood and jumped down the stairs until he finally reached the bottom. He cutely smiled and walked over to a chair and sat down just as Trunks suddenly fell from the sky (having made a shortcut by jumping from the hallway railing instead of walking an extra five steps to get to the stairs) and landed firmly on the ground. He held out the hand-held device, presenting the yellow dots that blinked on its surface. Krillin leaned over to get a better view and expertly counted all seven dots that were scattered randomly across the screen.

"Huh…well, they're all there, and untouched too. That wish woulda had to have been made at least a year back."

Everyone nodded again as Piccolo spoke.

"Then there is another dragon…"

Goku's eyes narrowed as his heroic instincts began kicking into gear. He stood up, his eyes still focused upon the ground, and his clear voice demanded attention.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think it's useless to talk about this. We know two things. The dragon wasn't Shenlong, for one, and for another, Turles just stole our friends and has them captive somewhere out in space. I don't care if it _was_ Perunga, I just care about getting my son back. I suggest we do that before they are all killed."

All eyes fell upon the orange-hued man as he spoke, and noble smiles of agreement shown upon everyone's faces (except for Piccolo and Vegeta). Vegeta sighed silently and leaned back against the wall, his head turned away from the group and focusing on a skyscraper that stood outside a window. Piccolo looked down to the ground and nodded indiscreetly, for he was too worried for Gohan's life to think straight anyway. Krillin smiled and stood up, his excitement for the new adventure glistening within his black eyes.

"Then let's go!"

Goku smiled towards his old friend, and shouted a 'yah' in joy and his son jumped up from the couch and cheered. Piccolo allowed his feet to touch the floor (he had been levitating in the air with his legs crossed) and had a simple smile resting upon his lips, showing his own form of enthusiasm. Krillin and Goku, characteristically, lunged towards the nearest hallway, carrying on and on about 'whooping their butts', 'saving the day' and, 'coming home with the ladies'. Goten quickly followed after his dad, skipping down the hall without taking any heed to the strange look Trunks was giving him. Piccolo followed the blind duo while Vegeta just stood watching their march down the hall.

Vegeta rolled his dark eyes and straightened away from the wall. He walked a few steps after them but stopped and folded his powerful arms across his chest, waiting for them to realize that they had no idea where they were going. _Total morons, the whole lot of them._ He still didn't understand why he wasted his breath on them. Goku and Krillin's voices soon faded as their journey took them deeper into the labyrinth of Capsule Corp. Vegeta calmly turned his head to gaze upon his only son.

"How long 'till someone screams?"

Trunks looked up to his dad and smiled.

"30 seconds, max."

Vegeta grinned and turned his attention back to the hallway before him. His son had definitely become so much more mature then Kakarot's boy, and had a much better head resting on his shoulders too. Within 10 seconds of the finishing of their conversation, a shrill screech resonated throughout the household, of which was followed by a faint, yet distinct, voice.

"Ah! Holy shit! Goku!"

Vegeta shook his head amusedly and followed after the screams, and soon stood before quite the sight. Goku stood backed against the wall with Krillin in his arms (the other three were a good distance away from the stressor), their eyes wide with a terror that brought a smile to his calm face.

Krillin clung onto Goku, trying to crawl closer to his friend for protection as he watched the most peculiar creature. Goku squeaked and tried to step back only to be met with failure. Vegeta pushed his way forward and calmly looked to the ground to see what creature had caused such distress. It was a small fuzzy creature with large, wet eyes and a cute body shape. Vegeta stared at its abnormally large eyes as it sat fiddling with its human-like hands and blinking stupidly towards him. He blinked, staring at it dumbfounded, when Goten laughed and stepped towards the small creature. He bent down and picked up the brown animal, laughing the whole time.

"He's so cute! I wonder what he is. I'm gonna name you Blinky!"

Trunks finally came and weaved around his father to see what had caused such commotion. He stared at Goten and rolled his eyes at his friend's simplicity, and he quickly walked forward and snatched the creature out Goten's hands.

"Goten, you dork, this is a sugar baby. And _her_ name is Sugar."

Krillin, who had finally calmed down from his previous fright, jumped out of Goku's arms and landed firmly on the ground.

"Oh, a sugar baby. Huh, aren't those like, exotic or something?"

Trunks nodded, holding the large-eyed creature to his shoulder.

"She's straight outta Brazil, so Mom paid a lot to get her. It was a Christmas gift for Grandpa."

The small mammal crawled onto Trunks shoulder and sat blinking towards the array of people. It lifted its small hands and began cleaning its face calmly, obviously not in the least bit alarmed. Krillin laughed and shook his head.

"Man, I bet. I thought exotic pets were illegal, but I guess you can do anything if you have enough money."

Trunks grinned for a moment, and suddenly diverted his attention to his father. Vegeta stood bent over slightly, staring at the small creature perched upon his son's shoulder with a curious fascination sparkling within his eyes. Trunks turned to face his father and gently took the animal off his shoulder.

"You wanna hold her?"

Vegeta straightened up, unable to say anything before Trunks pushed the small mammal into his father's chest. Vegeta looked down at the small, large-eyed creature that now cuddled against his palms, and slowly brought it closer and closer to his face.

"It…it has hands…"

Trunks blinked, but soon laughed and nodded. His voice was mockingly slow, although his form of mockery was undoubtedly playful.

"Yeah Dad, it's a primate. Congratulations, you get a gold star."

Vegeta snapped a harsh, reprimanding glare to his son, and without saying a word, Trunks lowered his gaze and whispered a soft apology. Vegeta, satisfied with his son's reaction, calmly turned his gaze back upon the small beast and softly lifted a finger to pet the side of Sugar's head. He then lifted his head and threw it back towards the living room.

"You're not going to get anywhere if you just keep wandering around that way."

Vegeta turned smoothly and started walking back towards the living room. Everyone followed him, Goku and Krillin mumbling and occasionally breaking into a bout of giggles, as he led them back to the living room and turned down another hallway to begin the short journey towards room where Bulma kept her capsules. When Vegeta finally stopped by a door, he handed the sugar baby back to Trunks.

"Take her back to wherever she's supposed to be."

Trunks nodded obediently and instantly bolted down the hallway, quickly disappearing around a corner as Vegeta opened the door. He stepped inside and flicked his gaze around the room. The group followed him closely inside, having always been curious to see exactly how many capsules Bulma had, and were stunned to see what lay within. Open shelves, display boxes, cabinets, and a single, overloaded desk were neatly arranged within the small room. From what they could see, only about ten capsules were within sight, however, Vegeta opened a rather small floating cabinet to reveal their false accusations. That cabinet alone had at least 100 capsules, all placed neatly next to one another in numerically ordered rows, and the group could only begin to imagine the possible minimum. Vegeta's eyes expertly skimmed over the mass of technology, then appeared to have spot the one he had been so calmly searching for. He waited, however, until Trunks reappeared in the doorway.

"Come here, Boy."

Trunks weaved throughout the mass of bodies and soon stood next to his father.

"Yeah Dad?"

Vegeta pointed into the cabinet.

"Could you get number 33-B?"

Trunks floated up and reached inside, quickly picking out the specific one his dad had asked for. He held it out towards him, and Vegeta nodded to affirm that he had gotten the correct one. Trunks floated back down to the ground as Vegeta looked up to the rest of the group.

"Go on, get yourselves prepared. Don't bring more then two suitcases per person, anymore will only clutter the ship. We'll depart in the morning, if the old man has it ready by then."

Vegeta shrugged and waved his hand as though in dismissal, quickly forcing his way through the group and walking into the hallway. Trunks quickly followed after his father, disappearing around a corner as Vegeta headed off to speak with Dr. Briefs. The group stood blinking, and Goku looked down to Krillin.

"So, what's happening?"

Krillin chuckled and walked out of the room.

"Goku, we're going out into space to kick Turles' ass and bring Gohan and the girls back."

Goku laughed lightly and scratched the back of his head.

"I knew that."

Krillin paused and looked around as the other three finally made their way out. Goten ran over to his dad, sticking to him like a magnet, and he looked up, watching his dad. Tien looked down the ground.

"Hey, I'd really rather stay here then go out to space with you guys. Not like I have anything against space or anything, I just don't want those guys to come back here without someone standing in their way."

Goku looked up to his friend and nodded, completely understanding his wishes. Goku looked down to his son and placed a comforting hand upon his head.

"Come on Squirt, we gotta get ready for tomorrow."

Goten nodded and followed his dad to the door. Krillin walked outside as well, watching as Goku and Goten flew off with a bout of waves and farewells. He sighed and closed his eyes as the sun warmed his smooth face. The ghost of a smile lightened his face the slightest measure as he shook his head gently. He reopened his eyes to watch his oldest friend shrink to nothing among the vast sky of blue.

"What are we getting ourselves into, Goku?"


	7. From One Room to the Next

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**From One Room to the Next**_

**AN** – _Dum de doo…I haven't a clue where this is going. O.o; But isn't that the fun of a story? XD Ok, so I do have a vague idea, better then what anyone else does. XD Ok, well, I do have a question for whoever is reading. What would you like to see most? Just, whatever. Anything from exceptionally gory violence, to loads of action, to lemon, to affairs, just whatever you guys are hoping to see in this story. Just throw it out, and since I don't have much of a firm grip on where this is going, I may work it in for those of you who speak up. Hehe. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. _

That night was one of the longest the majority of them had ever endured. Many had rested upon their lonely beds, awake for the long hours of the night, while the others danced in fleeting dreams of anticipation. Their only friends had been the biting fear of loss and the empty sky, speckled with empathetic stars. But the sun soon rose, and day eased them of their selfless pain. The sun had only just finished its triumphant rise to ascension when the first person appeared upon the Capsule Corporation lawn. Krillin was the first to land, and Vegeta was already outside waiting as though he had been there for hours. Shortly after, the two Son's appeared, and after planting their feet, they dropped their suitcases upon the cool grass. Goten turned to look at Krillin and Vegeta and smiled a boyish grin.

"Mornin' Uncle Veggie-boy! Where's Trunks?"

Vegeta didn't even make eye contact with the young boy and simply diverted his gaze towards a window on the side of the house. Goten nodded and ran inside without a second thought, leaving the adults behind. Krillin smiled as he watched Goku's youngest son bolt inside and turned to his old friend.

"Heheh, so, did you get any sleep last night?"

Goku laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Not a wink."

Krillin chuckled and prodded Goku's leg with a finger.

"Oh, please. You? Not sleep? You were probably out the second you hit the sheets, and I'd bet all the money I've got that Goten had to wake you up by jumping on your head."

Goku laughed and timidly rubbed the back of his head.

"Nuh uh!"

Krillin laughed again when the sliding glass door opened to allow Trunks and Goten through. Trunks dragged an old suitcase behind him, and he dropped it near the others. Vegeta straightened up and turned his back to the group, lifting a hand to indicate for them to follow. Goku picked up his suitcase and grabbed Goten's, quickly following after the fellow Saiyan, and the two kids quickly followed suit. Krillin blinked and ran up to Vegeta.

"Hey, Vegeta. What about Piccolo? Ain't he coming?"

Vegeta lowered his eyes smoothly to fall upon the smaller warrior and stared at him bluntly for a moment. He snapped up his gaze and focused upon something, causing Krillin to do the same. Piccolo stood ahead and to the side, having stayed the night with no need to leave. Krillin coughed and nodded.

"Oh…heheh…"

He quickly fell back next to Goku. As they passed him, Piccolo took to walking at Vegeta's left, silent as always. They rounded the side of the house to come across their mode of transportation. It wasn't as big as the ship Goku used, however it looked much more aerodynamic, having been elongated to help with speed. The door was open and they could see Dr. Briefs sitting with his legs dangling over the ramp, calmly smoking a cigarette to help relieve the stress of preparation. He looked up, his eyes glazed with an all-too-familiar fatigue (to him, at least), yet soon the veil of exhaustion lifted at the sight of other beings. He smiled at their presence as they made their way to the ramp, and he lifted a hand in greeting.

"Good morning. Didn't expect you'd all show up so soon. No matter, Dear's almost finished loading the supplies, so you all can blast off whenever she's finished. Till then, you can put your trunks into the cargo area. I know she looks small, but she's got great floor space."

As he spoke his last sentence, he turned around to gaze upon his pride and joy. Goku took his load of suitcases into the ship, and Krillin mimicked his actions perfectly, albeit less clumsily. Trunks grumbled, obviously getting irritated with the burdensome load, and drudgingly carried his own suitcase deep into the bowels of the ship.

After loading their belongings, the small group of friends sprawled onto the cool grass in front of the ship and waited for Mrs. Briefs to return with her final load of supplies. Soon, she came bustling out of the house with armfuls of bags and boxes and behind her followed a small army of robots carrying even more bags. A cheerful smile rested happily upon her face, and she paused as she passed Vegeta.

"Vegeta, could you be a dear and get the last few bags?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes coolly and grunted his response, straightening up and walking inside the house to gather the remaining supplies. Bunny and the robots soon disappeared within the depths of the ship, and as Vegeta came back out with several bags, the robots filed out and glided back into the house. Vegeta, like all the others, disappeared within the ship and soon reappeared with Bunny at his side. She had her hands clasped together and tucked just below her chin as they stepped out onto the grass where the others were waiting.

"Oh, dear! I hope that was enough. Oh! I'm going to miss you oh so much Vegeta! You're so heroic, going out into mean, evil space to save my beautiful daughter! I don't know how to ever repay you!"

Vegeta hmphed and rolled his eyes so she couldn't see. Vegeta looked to Dr. Briefs who was sitting to the side petting his favored pet, Scratch.

"Is the ship ready yet?"

Dr. Briefs looked up and blinked, seeming as though he only just realized that his wife had returned. He stood up and nodded, trying to hide his mild surprise.

"Should be. I just want –"

"Come on then, we mustn't waste time."

Vegeta's strong voice interrupted whatever the old scientist was about to say. The small group of warriors stood and walked into the ship, the two boys running and giggling the whole time with excitement. Once everyone had gotten inside, the great, mechanical door shut, closing out the peacefulness of Earth, and everyone onboard flocked to the windows to bid farewell to the duo that still stood on the ground. Mrs. Briefs was crying (for whatever reason) and waving hysterically while Dr. Briefs stood holding Scratch in his hands, boredly watching the massive ship. As the others bid their silent farewells, Vegeta began preparations for take-off, his fingers expertly dancing across the mass of colorful buttons and knobs. The ship jolted slightly as the technology readied for departure. Vegeta lifted his head and turned it so he could look at the people still crowded around the small windows. His lip curled slightly as he spoke.

"Hey, idiots, sit down already. We're leaving."

Everyone rushed to their seats, knowing well the Vegeta wouldn't wait to type in the final sequence, and strapped themselves into their seats. Vegeta pushed one last button that sent the ships engines into an empowering roar, and he calmly made his way back to the seat as the ship vibrated softly beneath his boots. He sat down just as the ship shot away from the earth, charging away from the planet like the chariot of a god rushing madly into a bloody, decisive battle.

They felt the tension dissipate as Earth shrank from view, yet none dared rise from their seats just yet. The light increased as the ship streaked past the grand sun, and just as the light began to fade and their position change, a glint shone upon every set of eyes. It was a glint of honor, excitement, and vigor. And, just as quickly as that glint had sparkled upon their brows, darkness swiftly consumed them and drenched every sparkle of hope with the enigmatic blankness of space.

……

Everything was dark. I didn't realize it for a long time, but it was. Pure emptiness and unnerving solitude surrounded me, and I began to feel it after a while. The thick air that consumed me was unnatural, and a pang of fear suddenly burned through my heart. At that conscious sense of feeling, my world exploded. That empty darkness now swirled with a million colors and sounds, and pain steadily coursed throughout my body. I gasped and finally took enough control of my weak, confused body to force my eyes open. I moaned from the dull ache that rhythmically pulsated through my veins, and I gathered strength within my arms to turn myself slightly. I blinked away the heavy weariness and looked around me, seeing nothing but darkness and feeling nothing but cold.

Beside me, another stirred because of my movements, and a soft rumble bubbled through their lips. The voice, although it was rather weak and unsure at the moment, held a virile depth, yet was so soft and gentle it could have lured a frightened lamb from hiding. I perked up, as best as I could in my muddled and dull confusion, and stretched out my hand, instantly knowing that the usually friendly yet shy voice could belong to only one man.

"…Gohan? Gohan, is that you?"

He shifted slightly, seeming as though he'd heard me. My heart skipped a beat as those feelings of emptiness and loneliness faded. His muscled chest shifted as he turned himself to look at me, and although all details were lost in shadow, he looked at me carefully.

"Bulma? Is that you?"

I smiled at his still-adorable voice and nodded, more to ease the strangeness of having a conversation with another unseen.

"Yeah, you alright?"

Gohan shifted once more, and the mass of sleek shadows that had at one time been lying upon the ground now floated beautifully before me. The block of blackness that I knew to be his head nodded as his arm glided to his head.

"Yeah, I guess. Feel like I've been hit by a car though…"

I laughed for a moment, trying to ease the strangeness of our situation, though my efforts had been in vain. Silence returned, so I tried to focus upon my hands to ease the awkward aura that had captured my heart. They were beginning to capture a ghostly appearance against the background of black, and I turned them over, trying to feel fascinated by their existence. Gohan tensed up, suddenly becoming more aware towards the situation he was in.

"Where are we?"

His voice had gotten stronger, acting much like his father would have had he been in the same situation, and a smile flitted across my face at the thought. It was comforting to think of Goku at a time like this, but that didn't matter now. I lifted my shoulders lightly, darting my eyes around the area, trying to grasp what little detail I was beginning to see.

"I have no idea. Last thing I can remember is fighting over the covers, then going to sleep."

Gohan rubbed the back of his head again, looking around the room as well.

"Huh…that's weird. That's all I can remember too."

Gohan seemed as though he saw something, and his vague form shifted and reached for something that lay on the ground.

"…Mom…? Is that you?"

He drew himself closer to the figure that lay sleeping upon the ground, and he lightly shook her, careful not to use too much strength.

"Mom! Wake up, please wake up…"

She moaned lightly as she shifted in sleep, and soon her eyes fluttered open to be met with darkness and the sound of her oldest son's voice.

"…Go…Gohan? What on Earth…?"

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief and pushed himself a few inches away from his mother, giving her some room to maneuver as she pleased. She lifted her thin arm to her head, rubbing it quietly for a moment before becoming more aware of her surroundings.

"Where am I? Gohan? What's going on?"

Gohan looked around yet again, searching for any other shapes while answering his mother's question.

"I don't know, neither of us can remember a thing."

I smiled, knowing well that a look of confusion dulled Chi-chi's face.

"Not a single thing since last night. What about you?"

Chi-chi turned her head towards me, watching my vague shape with confusion.

"I…I…."

She suddenly remembered, and her head snapped down in pain. I straightened up seeing this, and Gohan did the same.

"Chi?"

Her eyes were closed tight and her hands clenched her dress as though it was her only lifeline.

"Guys…I…Goku…he…"

Gohan straightened up and leaned forward, softly placing a comforting hand upon her tense shoulders.

"Mom?"

She looked up at her son through a veil of confusion and hurt, but soon wrenched her eyes shut once more.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. While I was looking for a glass, Goku came up behind me and…growled at me. He picked me up and said that I was going to go with him without a peep, otherwise he'd beat me like an old bitch…"

She reopened her eyes and glared at the ground as she relived the short memory. I couldn't believe what she was saying. Goku? I could have sworn that he didn't even know what a bitch was, let alone use it in front of his wife. Gohan seemed just as shocked, and he leaned a touch closer to his mother for comfort. Chi-chi's eyes softened as she carefully pondered over what had happened, and she slowly lifted her head.

"His…his eyes were cold. His voice was so cruel…and he had a grin that was…evil. His hands were rough…too rough…wait…it couldn't have…"

Her eyes slowly widened as she looked between her two friends.

"Oh…dear god…that wasn't Goku…"

Gohan blinked curiously, again fearing for his mother.

"Mom…?"

"That man wasn't you father, Gohan. Goku doesn't have a cruel bone in his body, but the way he threw me over his shoulder was nothing but. His hands were too rough; your father's hands are a little softer, and much stronger. More comforting then offending…"

I leaned forward as well, placing my hand upon her knee in an attempt to comfort her.

"Chi…what are you talking about?"

She blinked, staring at me for a moment before realizing what I was talking about. She timidly focused upon her hands, finally answering my question after an unnerving silence.

"A man that looked exactly like Goku took me away when I was getting a drink. He flew into the air and met up with some other people near a mountain range northeast of your house, Bulma. Yamcha and Tien were there, I saw them, but Goku threw me over to one of the freaks that were floating up in the air. I think he knocked me out or something, that's all I can remember…"

Gohan's eyes narrowed in thought, when suddenly, a voice softly mumbled in the background.

"…What…?"

We all looked back, and to our surprise, 18 was sitting up a few feet away and looking around the room. I smiled, growing more confident as our group slowly grew.

"Hey 18. It's us."

She blinked, seeming so calm even though she was suddenly in some pitch-black room without a clue as to how she got there.

"Bulma…? Where are we?"

I looked around blindly and shrugged, feeling her eyes on my back.

"No idea."

A dim light suddenly flickered above our heads, and a soft glow filled the room. After a moment, we could comfortably see again, and we all gazed around quickly, anxious to see our surroundings. It was a very small room with boxes and bags of every origin. Tall stacks of boarded crates hid the walls, and I instantly recognized it to be some sort of cargo room. My eyes fell upon a small bag that was nearby, and I readily reached out to pick it up. I looked it over, my acute eyes scanning over the fibers of the bag and the various stamp-like markings that lay claim to its pale exterior. It had been tied tightly and diligently, obviously the tedious work of its owner. I looked it over a few times more, inspecting the peculiar shapes that, I soon saw, formed some other language I had never seen.

"Huh…how strange…I wonder where we are."

Gohan was inspecting a box carefully, seeming completely lost in his own world, when he suddenly spoke.

"I have no idea, but wherever we are, it's not on Earth."

I blinked, raising a fine eyebrow at his assumption.

"What?"

He lifted his head away from the box and turned it to look at me. His eyes were narrowed in serious thought as he made eye contact with me, only to break it again and continue his studies.

"This writing…it's different. It doesn't resemble a single language I've ever seen. But…it kinda does, somehow…"

I blinked, watching him curiously, when he suddenly spoke again.

"Have you ever seen anything like it? I mean, I'm not one for linguistics, and you _are_ part of a world-wide corporation."

I could feel a glint of pride (or haughtiness) sparkle in my heart when he said that, but I brushed it aside quickly to answer his question. I crawled forward and carefully scanning every curve, accented shape, and marking.

"…Hm. It looks a little like…kinda like Greek, but it flows better, like Arabic. That's strange, I don't think I've ever seen it."

I looked to him, and he looked to me. His black eyes widened slowly in shock of the proof I had given to his hypothesis. He knew that I would at least recognize the symbols and styles of any written language that was advanced enough to have such a facility, however small. Chi-chi was about to say something when a door, unseen to us, was roughly pushed open somewhere in the mass of cargo. The first voice was gruff and strong, but it had an ironically sweet depth. He spoke in a language I had never heard, although the style in which he spoke and the accent he used seemed undyingly familiar. A second voice spoke occasionally between the mumblings of the first, however its sound was nasal and tight, almost hissing at times yet being too precise to have such an effect. This second person spoke the same language, but I could tell it wasn't his first, due to the sharp contrast of his accent with the firsts.

We all stayed as quiet as possible, fearing what this new change would bring. However, our silence proved futile when a stack of boxes was pulled away to reveal the body that belonged to the gruff voice. He was of medium height with unruly locks of black that gutted every which way. His eyes were considerably small and looked like little beads of onyx. He was barrel-chested, yet still somehow sleek and muscular, and had thick arms with a sturdy set of legs. He didn't seem the least bit surprised at seeing a group of people in the middle of the cargo room, and actually seemed calmer in finding us. He took a cautious, almost courteous step forward, holding his hands out before him, palms down, as though in a sign of peace. The four of us sat staring at him, unsure of what his intentions were, when his rough voice attempted niceness.

"_Hok…Mo no it deron fer._"

18, being the bold woman she was, jumped to her feet. Her pale eyes were narrowed in rage.

"Who are you, and where the hell are we? You better fess up."

He withdrew mentally, watching her shockingly as she spoke. He then turned to the young, blue-skinned person that had obviously been the second voice. The large man spoke again, talking too quickly for any of us to catch a single phrase, and any agitation within his mind was obvious only through his voice. The young man lifted his hands up and pointed his palms to the ceiling, shrieking a little, obviously hurt by whatever the first had said, once again talking too quickly for me to catch. The bulky man rubbed his head and turned back to us.

"I didn't realize you understood muak. I mean you no harm, but you better stay obedient if you want it to stay that way."

His eyes darted to 18, who, too shocked to act any other way, retreated slightly. He straightened himself up, giving a harder glance around the room.

"You were all brought her last night. Not really sure why, but you are to be sent to the Emper as a sort of…compensation. Come this way."

No one knew what to do, so we just sat there blinking, too dumbfounded to regain control over our motionless bodies. He turned, pushing his way around the much scrawnier boy of blue, and quickly began walking through the unseen maze of boxes. The boy suddenly looked straight at me and gave me a slight smile.

"Come now, Earthling. You don't want him pissed, trust me."

He waited as we stood and timidly followed at the first man and closed off the small line of people after the last of us were between him and the older man. Chi-chi and I stood near the front of the line while Gohan and 18 held the back. The burly man led the way for quite some time until he finally stopped at an old looking door and turned to look at us.

"There. That's your room for the trip. Down the hall is the cafeteria," he said while raising a powerful arm to indicate the direction. "And restrooms are down that way, second door to the left."

He pointed in the other direction, and we all turned back to look at the old door he had described. He turned and sighed, seeming very tired, and continued speaking.

"Look, I'm your caretaker 'till we get to Lord Frieza's ship, so if you go missing or get killed, I loose my job. Stay in there unless you're bladder's explodin' or if you're starving to death. Any emergencies, just call me. The number's near the door."

He opened the door and held out his hand, motioning us inside. It was then that I noticed he was missing three fingers off his right hand, unnaturally so (of which was obvious from the scar tissue covering the stumps of his middle, ring, and pinky). We slowly made our way into the extremely small room, and before he closed the door, I turned around and asked a common question, more for convenience sake.

"Sir, what's your name?"

He paused in his actions, having already diverted his gaze from us, and slowly turned his head to look at me. His eyes were wide with a shock that I could tell rarely graced those black eyes, and his mouth hung barely ajar. Those glistening old eyes watched me, calculating me with a practiced caution.

"…What did you say?"

I barely twitched an eyebrow as I folded my arms across my chest, feeling almost offended that he was reacting the way he did.

"I asked for your name. What, don't you have one?"

He stared at me, completely disbelieving of what his ears were hearing. He blinked, suddenly realizing his mouth was agape, and closed it while returning the normal social mask of strength everyone presented to some extent.

"…Tovke."

I smiled and nodded, carefully remembering the name incase some situation in the future permitted it.

"Cool name, mine's Bulma."

He was watching me, his eyes slowly growing ever softer, but when I spoke my name, he suddenly perked up, as though he had heard that name before. I raised an eyebrow as he stared at me for a moment, and suddenly, his eyes took a full scan up and down the entire length of my body. I screeched, slamming my foot down on the ground.

"How dare you! I am not something pretty for you–"

"Please, Miss, silence. I was just, wondering why you of all people…but no, I suppose it makes sense."

I glared daggers at him, and growled at him once more.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He smiled, seeming almost flattered, and shook his head.

"Nothing, Miss, nothing at all. Now, my shift's over. Good night."

He turned quickly and shut the door, seeming almost reluctant to leave so quickly. His heavy steps faded into the queer silence that consumed the hall as he left a bewildered group in the midst of a dank darkness. And with that, they were left all alone with nothing but muddled thoughts and the soft roar of an engine rumbling steadily in the distance.

_**AN **– Heh, well, there you go. Remember, if you're hoping for something, anything at all, to happen, please feel free to give me your ideas. You could even say something like 'I love violence', just whatever. XD Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. Oh, and Happy Halloween. XD _


	8. The Bald Warrior

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**The Bald Warrior**_

**AN –** _Well, a big thanks for the reviews. A note about the characters personalities. I'm trying to save the hard-core explainingness of everyone's thoughts and stuff until later chapters to help make it seem a bit more meaningful. Like, for the beginning, I've been kinda skimming past everyone's real thoughts on what's happening, hitting more on the people that won't be there in the future chaps (like Yamcha and Tien. Never really liked them, but people skim over them so much so that they just capture my imagination sometimes) But that won't last long, I promise. Anyway, this chapter is a long one. Yeah! Enough rambling. Onto the story _

The small group jolted awake to a high-pitched note screaming through the room. Gohan jumped out of bed and floundered around the room, trying to stand but unable to because his sheets kept entangling themselves with his legs. After hitting the floor, the half-Saiyan finally sat up and looked around the room painfully.

"What the hell is that?"

Bulma covered her ears and closed her eyes tiredly.

"I don't know, but it better stop."

The buzzing soon ceased and the group relaxed. They looked around the room idly, trying to regain their senses. The room only had three beds, so Bulma and Chi-chi had agreed to share one on the condition that they rotated who got to have a bed. Right now, however, that wasn't on their minds. Bulma climbed out of bed and walked to the closet, hoping to find something for her to wear that day. She was disappointed to find only four outfits, of which resembled those Vegeta often wore to battle. She grabbed one of the smaller ones and looked out it distastefully.

"Would you look at this! They expect me to wear this?"

She sighed exasperatedly and reached in to grab the skin-tight fabric that went with the chest plate she had picked. Gohan, having finally gotten his legs untangled from the sheets, walked over to Bulma and peered into the closet.

"Well, at least they don't have those weird shoulder things."

Bulma rolled her eyes and turned towards the other two girls. She looked around the room as though searching for something and narrowed her eyes when her search ended with no result.

"Where the hell am I supposed to change? I'm not going into that public bathroom just to change clothes."

Gohan smiled to himself and quickly grabbed his suit from the closet. He pulled the tight material over his boxers and slipped on the torso piece. He quickly walked towards the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, and looked back to the three pairs of watching eyes.

"Hey, you guys, I'm going to go see what they've got cookin'. I'll meet you there."

With that, he slipped out of the room and left the three women to themselves. The girls changed into the uncomfortably tight (for them, at least) uniforms and looked each other over.

"Huh…you don't look half-bad Chi. You know, you really oughta wear something besides those old dresses."

Chichi waved her hands towards Bulma, shaking her head.

"Sorry, but I prefer keeping my modesty."

18 shook her head at the two and looked to the door.

"I bet they aren't ready for him. He'll probably eat everything on the ship."

Bulma laughed and nodded, walking briskly towards the door.

"Probably. Come on, girls. Maybe they have some coffee. I feel like I didn't sleep a wink…"

With that, the trio walked into the hallway and turned to the right. They walked down the long hall, believing they were headed in the right direction, and came to an intersection that forced them to turn left or right. 18 narrowed her eyes as she looked each way, but before she could say anything, Bulma started walking to the left.

"Come on."

They followed her, turning and walking down the never-ending halls of dank metal. After walking a while, Chi-chi glared at the back of Bulma's head.

"Hey, wait up a minute."

Bulma stopped and turned to look at her.

"What is it, Chi?"

"Do you have any idea where you're going? We haven't seen a single person, and you don't know what this smelly old ship is like."

Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Listen, I know exactly where I'm going. Ok? Who's the genius here?"

Chi-chi's eyes sparked with an all-too-familiar flame.

"Oh, so suddenly, just because your dad is some psycho-science nerd, you know everything there is to know? Ha, don't make me laugh!"

That insult to her family caused Bulma's eyes to narrow harshly, a flame flickering within her own eyes as well.

"How dare you! My father is not a nerd! You're just jealous that I have money and you don't!"

As Bulma finished her snappy comeback, Chi-chi's composure fell as she watched something that loomed behind Bulma. The blue-haired woman paused, blinking curiously at Chi-chi's sudden distraction. She slowly turned around to see what caught her friend's eye, and instantly regretted it. A large shadow loomed behind her, and her mouth hung open slightly as she stared at it with wide eyes. She took a step back from the massive figure that towered at least two and a half feet above her head. He was like some freak superman, with pounds of muscles and bulk clinging beautifully to his frame. She looked up into the darkest eyes, and a queer smile lit his face. His head gleamed as he shifted under the light and bent down to look at her better. His smile changed once more as though he were playing with the thin, black mustache that lined his upper lip and dipped down to the edge of his jaw. His grin increased and he took a step closer towards her, suddenly making himself seem several feet taller and all the mightier. Bulma couldn't tell if he was trying to be nice and failing horribly, or if he was simply pretending to be kind with some other idea in mind.

"_Oh? Par o tar, o me?_"

She stared at him, too scared to regain her normally sassy attitude, and for good reason. He blinked and raised an eyebrow, suddenly seeming…almost cutely worried (though the ominous bulk he carried could only fuel the women's fear).

"_Muak?_"

Bulma blinked, getting a little more face at his sudden change of heart.

"…Excuse me?"

His face relaxed and he chuckled twice.

"Woo, man, I was worried yall didn't know it."

She blinked again, folding her arms defensively across her chest.

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

He blinked again in momentary confusion, but he quickly shrugged whatever bothered him away.

"Muak, you can speak it."

Bulma blinked again, raising an eyebrow.

"What's muak?"

His eyes were dull with an obvious bewilderment.

"You…don't know what it is?"

Bulma rolled her eyes, only increasing the bulky man's confusion (if such was even possible).

"Of course not. Now, just tell me what it means already, geesh."

He withdrew and stared at her in pure shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and out of a woman's mouth. That thought having entered his mind, his eyes of dull black narrowed ominously, and his godly, all-powerful aura increased immensely. The girls took another step back, wary of this new threat. He growled, deep and powerful, glaring passionately at Bulma as though she were the Devil himself.

"How…dare you…you wench!"

His voice was raspy and low, reaching a powerful depth that caused their eyes to widen. His breath was quickening and his nostrils flared as his anger began skyrocketing unnaturally right before their eyes. A few veins upon his smooth head were even starting to show, yet suddenly, he paused, as though he remembered something. Oh, and did he remember it. A sudden voice had called out into his mind, one that he hadn't heard in what felt like an eternity. The harsh, demanding voice of a certain prince yelling out his name to reprimand him for misbehaving. His eyes softened drastically at the unconscious memory of his old prince. His eyes fell to the floor as he took a moment to think, and soon he realized that a familiar scent floated in the air. He looked Bulma straight in the eye and leaned his head forward, bringing his massive skull within two inches of her face. Bulma didn't know what to do, so she just stood frozen in fear as the thick face neared uncomfortably close to hers. His nose suddenly twitched, breathing quick puffs of air, smelling her like a dog might. Her eyes widened and she shot a characteristic glare towards him. She was about to slap him across the face, but luckily for her, he pulled away with a look of pleasant joy.

"Oh! Well, lookie here!"

He laughed, overjoyed suddenly. He grinned from ear to ear and nodded happily. He laughed heartily and pat Bulma's shoulder with his heavy hand.

"Holy shit, lookie here! Damn, well, sorry about that. I have a bit of a temper, I didn't realize you were His mate. So, what's your name, Miss?"

Bulma stared at him as though he was the stupidest person alive.

"…uh…Bulma."

He nodded.

"Aw, I shoulda known that one. Oh well, what about your friends there?"

He looked at 18 and Chi-chi curiously and Bulma turned her head to see them. Her previously cautious aura had faded to a more pleasantly calm look, and she smiled and turned to completely face the two dumbstruck women.

"That's 18."

18 just stared at the man as he smiled respectively and nodded his head politely.

"And that's Chi-chi."

Chi-chi weakly raised a hand and waved, and the burly man offered her the same polite greeting he had given 18.

"It's nice to meet you all. Oh, and uh…Chi-chi, was it?"

She nodded. His eyes brightened slightly, glad that he had remembered her name correctly. He took a step towards her.

"I just thought I oughta let you know. Don't wave your hand around like that here."

Chi-chi blinked and raised an eyebrow. She never liked people bossing her around.

"And why not?"

He grinned, humored by her reaction.

"'Cause it's considered…I donno, rude, offending, intimidating, challenging, bad, I guess."

The group stared at him, and Chi-chi crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, really?"

He laughed at this and nodded, seeming friendlier and more understanding.

"Yeah. See, in space, some people can shoot those ki things, right?"

He lifted a hand and collected a small ball of light within his palm.

"And how do you shoot something with it?"

He held his hand towards a wall and made a loud, yet playful 'boom'. The light dissipated from his hand.

"You point your palm at it. So, basically, unless it a friend of yours or something, it kinda means you wanna fight whoever you're pointin' at, or kill um, or something. Just, don't do it. Unless, a 'course, you wanna start something."

Bulma blinked, a question burning in her eyes.

"Huh…what about pointing a finger at someone?"

He shrugged.

"It really depends. A couple races think it's kinda rude to point, but that's about it. Most people don't care."

The three girls fell quiet, thinking a little over their new information, when the man's rough voice boomed down the hallways. He scratched the back of his thick neck and looked down the hall.

"So, where you girls headed?"

Chi-chi perked up at this, suddenly seeing him as possibly being of use to them.

"Actually, we're trying to find the cafeteria."

He smiled and nodded.

"Ah, so you girls just got here last night then, eh? All righty, here. I was just headin' there myself."

Chi-chi smiled to herself and nodded politely.

"Thank you very much, Sir!"

He laughed and shook his head.

"Whatever, come on."

He walked past Chi-chi and 18 and started walking down the hallway. Bulma quickly ran after him, and the other two eventually followed as well. Bulma took up walking next to him and looked up to his head. He looked down to her and smiled as he threw his head back to 18 and Chi-chi.

"So, what planet yall from?"

Bulma smiled cheerfully, taking a bit of a liking to his attitude.

"Earth, what about you?"

His eyes widened a bit and he stared at her for a moment.

"…Earth? You guys are all from…Earth?"

Bulma could hear the slightest touch of resentment and, possibly, fear echoing in the depths of his massive chest. Her eyes narrowed a touch in thought, carefully watching any signs that would give her a reason as to why.

"Yeah, so?"

He blinked away any dark thoughts that were floating within his head, and he shrugged his great shoulders.

"Nothing, just went there once, is all."

Bulma gasped quietly in shock.

"You've been there? Really? When?"

She sounded surprised, but she definitely wasn't anywhere near being angry. She was curious as to how often aliens had visited Earth without anyone knowing. He shrugged, protecting something that he'd rather not bring under discussion.

"Just a while back."

He allowed an awkward silence to fall after his words, but he quickly broke the awkward pause.

"So, you're Prince Vegeta's mate?"

He laughed.

"How'd you do it? Beat him over the head with a cinder block 'till he snapped?"

Bulma laughed for a moment, almost forgetting the fact that he was some stranger that she had never talked to before. She then realized that he had spoken of Vegeta, and instantly snapped her attention directly to the burly man beside her.

"Wait, you know Vegeta?"

He laughed heartily and shook his head.

"Shit yeah, I do. Who doesn't?"

Bulma watched him suspiciously, her curiosity growing fiercer then a wild fire on a dry plain.

"How do you know him?"

He grinned and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Well, let's just say that me and him go way back."

Bulma's eyes flickered, and a large smile graced her pale features.

"So, you two were friends?"

He shrugged.

"Sure. Call it what you want."

She paused.

"What would you call it?"

He laughed, reminiscing over various thoughts, and spoke with a sarcastic tone.

"Work. That's that best way to describe it. Hard-core, ass-breaking, sweatin'-like-a-pig work."

She gave him a hard look that wasn't vicious enough to be considered a glare. He saw it and raised a playful eyebrow.

"What? It was. That brat was nothing but trouble half the time, and a babbling mess the other. You'd think that someone like you would know that better then anyone, ma'am."

He stared at her, almost innocently, and watched her as she stared back with a disbelieving look.

"Well, maybe you're thinking about the wrong Vegeta."

He hooted and laughed, looking back forward and shaking his head side to side.

"My god, she's just as insane as him! Wooh, maybe now this joint'll lighten up a bit."

He chuckled, but gasped when he felt her slap his arm. He snapped his head down with a slightly frightened look in his eyes.

"Ma'am?"

"What the hell are you talking about?

He chuckled again, trying to contain his amusement to little avail.

"I'm just saying that there ain't no other Vegeta out there, that's alive anyway. What, is he some sorta tight-ass now?"

He chuckled at the thought and watched her, waiting for a response. She glared at him and rolled her eyes.

"He is _not_ a tight-ass. He just…"

She paused, trying to come up with a good excuse on Vegeta's behalf. Of course, her mind drew a blank, and as she turned her eyes up to the face of the large, bulky man. He caught her eyes, and a devilish grin slowly grew upon his face.

"Ok, maybe he is…but–"

He laughed heartily at that and clapped his hands a couple times.

"I knew it! I just knew it! He's a tight-ass now, I knew it!"

He couldn't stop laughing, even while Bulma glared holes into the side of his skull, and as his uproarious laughter began to cease, she took the liberty to speak her defense.

"Well, he may be a bit stiff, but that doesn't mean anything. He's just shy."

She regretted her words the instant another explosion of boisterous laughter erupted from the depths of his mountain-like chest. He finally caught his breath and shook his head, stopping and turning completely to Bulma with joy sparkling his eyes.

"_Geros Mare_! Damn, he musta changed a helluva lot since I last seen him. Shit…Vegeta shy…"

He chuckled softly and mumbled the last few words, shaking his head. He perked up, and said a soft 'Right', and started walking again.

"Almost there."

Chi-chi noticed that they passed the door to their room, but kept following after their bulky escort. He soon stopped by an old door that seemed no different then the rest. It did, however, have red markings above the door. He pushed open the door and held it open as the three women walked inside.

"Here we are ladies. The cafeteria."

As the girls walked through the door, they were met with an experience they hadn't prepared for. Loud voices boomed throughout the old room, mixing together to form a painfully constant and never-ending roar. Lines of tables were covered in disorganized plates of food, and people of all descriptions sat about them, talking and eating their meal. Chi-chi lifted a hand to her mouth, surprised but not entirely shocked at the sight. 18's nose wrinkled in disgust at some of the scenarios she could see throughout the congregation (which mainly consisted of fighting and a few voracious eating habits). There were about a hundred people in all, but it would have been difficult to guess such a number, mainly due to the constant moving and the tightness of the room. The girls' escort pat Chi-chi's back reassuringly, and she turned her head back to view him curiously.

"Welcome to space, Miss."

His eyes caught something in the mass of people and food, and he smiled.

"Come on, you guys can sit with me."

He started walking ahead of them and forced his way through the rows of tables and masses of people. The girls followed him, still too shocked to attempt any independence, and noticed a small table with two other people waiting for him to come. One stood and held out his hand, palm down, and laughed a bit in greeting. The bulky man quickly approached him and beat the younger man's back in a semi-friendly manner. The two mumbled in a different language for a few moments before their new friend turned to face them. The girls stood together, still uncertain as to what was happening, and waited for their escort to say something. He laughed and pushed Bulma in between him and the stranger, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place.

"'Ey, check this little gal out. Her name's Bulma. I found her wandering around the left quadrant. Poor thing just came in last night."

He looked back and beckoned for 18 and Chi-chi to come closer. After they followed his request, he lightly pat 18 on the shoulder.

"This one's name is 18, and the other gal is called Chi-chi. All three came straight from that Earth place I told you about."

His friend nodded, giving a peculiar look to the three girls.

"Huh, all of um, eh? Why they goin' to the Emper?"

The bulky man shrugged and chuckled.

"Not real sure for the other two, but this little gal's more important then she looks. You'd be surprised."

He looked down at Bulma as he spoke the last part of his speech, smiling warmly again before looking back up to the stranger. The two chuckled while the thinner man just shook his head, rolling his eyes sarcastically to show his disbelief. Chi-chi suddenly stepped towards the bald warrior, and when she finally caught his attention, she glared fiercely.

"So, who is this guy?"

He laughed and nodded apologetically.

"Sorry, Miss. This is my partner-in-training, Toronhar. He's a little newbie."

He chuckled as he hit his partner's backs, and Toronhar gasped mockingly. The two chuckled for a few moments, when the bald man suddenly remembered why he came. He turned to the girls and smiled.

"Here, sit down. I'll get you guys something to eat. Tor, Bawk, be nice to them till I get back."

With that, their new friend turned towards a hidden room in the back of the cafeteria and left the three women to themselves. Bulma confidently strode to a chair and sat down, waiting as Chi-chi and 18 followed her example. Toronhar turned to face them and smiled. He had long, brown hair that had a will of its own, and he had rich blue eyes that were soft and shy in appearance. A thin, black haired woman sat next to him and leaned over the table to look at the new girls.

"Well, who do we have here?"

She had an exotic beauty about her youthful face, and her dark, wet eyes seemed to constantly play young, fiery games with any male that happened to catch her gaze. She tilted her head and looked over the three girls carefully. Bulma smiled and held out her hand.

"My name's Bulma. We just came from Earth."

The young woman looked at Bulma's friendly hand, looked to her face, and looked back to her hand. Bulma blinked.

"It's a handshake. It's how we say hello."

The girl grinned, giggling darkly, and she looked towards Toronhar.

"Would you get a loada Blue?"

She snickered and looked up to Bulma's face, catching her blue eyes and keeping them with her own near-black gaze. Bulma's eyes narrowed angrily, yet she stayed silent. The woman's grin only increased upon seeing Bulma's anger, and she said something in another language. Bulma blinked, watching her obliviously as a more offensively sassy gaze consumed her dark eyes. Toronhar and a table behind her started laughing and calling out various words or names, none of which the three women could understand. Bulma looked around to the different obscene faces contorted fiercely in cruel amusement to her ignorance. She tightly narrowed her eyes as the mass of confusion increased and the number of faces grew. Their taunting voices roared within her mind, buzzing and biting coldly as she spun around in a world of confusion and humiliation.

A loud, resonating boom suddenly rose above the uproar of voices and instantly called an end to the torrent of torturous noise. Her eyes snapped open to see that the bulky man that had shown them to the cafeteria earlier was standing at the end of the table. He seemed suddenly so much taller as his previously sweet eyes burned with an enraged power, and his stern face hid any joyful emotion. Several plates of food had been set before him, but the future meal seemed miniscule before the immensely powerful man whose anger was undeniable. The two tables had fallen silent in his wake, watching in a tense stillness as he slowly lifted his head and sent heated glares towards the offenders. His eyes slowly narrowed as his powerful voice easily reached the others.

"I can't believe this. Some new girl comes, scared outta her mind after being ripped away from her home, and you jackasses start treating her like shit. Every single one'a you know how she's feeling. With the weird people and food, and the different culture and all. But you idiots treat every new gal on the ship like she's some sorta whore. But you don't even take the chance to think for a second. Do you even know her name, or who she is?"

Only the buzzing sound of the cafeteria took hold, for no one at either table wished to speak against him. His eyes narrowed as his voice grew.

"I didn't think so. For all you bastards know, she could be the wife of the head chief of the police or the wealthiest woman in the universe. She could be Lord Frieza's new concubine, and for all you know she could even be royalty somewhere. None of you have a clue, yet you instantly suppose that she's just a commoner."

A man stood at the second table and coldly narrowed his unnaturally pale eyes.

"Why don't you just shut your mouth, you shit-faced monkey?"

A few people at his table shouted in agreement when the large, bald-headed man smashed his fist straight through the metal table, instantly demanding silence. He pointed an unfazed finger towards the boy that had stood in defiance.

"If I'm wrong, you tell me who she is."

The pale-eyed man scoffed.

"You're the one protectin' the back-road bitch. Why don't you tell us exactly who the hell she is?"

Those pale eyes sparkled in arrogance, for he believed he had just won the little battle. Shouts of agreement bounded across the table, and the bulky man glared darkly towards the haughty fool.

"You wanna know who she is? She is Lord Vegeta's mate, and has been since Frieza fell from power."

The people sitting at the two tables snapped their heads to Bulma. They stared at her with fear, disbelief, and awe flickering within their eyes, fascinated with their newfound knowledge. Their previously taunting voices were silenced as they stared at her, and the pale-eyed boy slowly sat down, easily accepting the humiliating defeat. The black-haired woman who had started the ruckus lifted a hand to her lips as fear drenched the entirety of her ebony eyes. The bulky man nodded as-a-matter-of-factly and grunted.

"See? You were just fucking with the wrong bitch. If you shit-heads play your cards right, she'll make a sweet little lie for you the next time she sees him. If not, I pity every single one of you heartless bastards."

With that, he pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. He rubbed his forehead and waved his hand. As though he had just ended a spell of silence between the two tables, the group instantly returned to its previously boisterous activity, albeit every voice held a timid undertone. The man looked at Bulma and smiled apologetically.

"Man, I'm so sorry about that. I forgot how much of a bitch she can be whenever a pretty new face shows up."

He threw his thumb towards the still-frozen figure, and Bulma glanced towards her. The fear that burned within the woman's gorgeous black eyes unnerved her, so she tried to brush the woman's fear aside (although she failed miserably). The black-haired woman suddenly laid her shaky hand upon Bulma's.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't…mean–"

"Shut your trap, Bawkira. She already knows that you're a bitch."

The bald man glared towards her, and she shot a weak glare in return. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from the table. Bawkira spun around and walked towards the door, disappearing through a doorway with nothing but a flick of her raven hair. Toronhar had been watching Bulma, fascinated still by what his partner had said.

"Wow, you mean, you're the girl everyone's been talking about back at base?"

She turned her eyes and studied him carefully. A smile lit Bulma's face, and she shrugged.

"I still have no idea what's going on."

He blinked and chuckled to himself.

"Well, ma'am, for starters, we've been expecting for the Prince's woman to be coming. We didn't think it'd be for another month or so, but news ain't too fast up here."

She nodded, beginning to see what he was talking about.

"Oh, I see. So, this was all planned? Our being brought here, I mean."

He nodded.

"Aye, it was. The Emper heard word from a bounty hunter that Prince Vegeta had taken up base at a planet over in the back roads of the Northern quadrant. He also said that he had totally revamped his style, changing his name, looks, attitude, everything. Somethin' about him settling down with a family, too, but no one believed the guy. But since Frieza's a paranoid freak, he sent a few men out to see if what the hunter said was true. That was about a month ago now, I think."

He turned his head to look at the massive warrior who nodded to prove the younger man's words. The bald warrior cracked his neck and grunted.

"I know I sure as hell didn't believe that loada crap. Vegeta doesn't hide, and he would never change himself like that just to keep away from a buncha weak police fags. And he sure as hell wouldn't settle down like that. He'd jump the gun and start takin' over, just like he was planning to after wiping Frieza's ass off the map. I still thought he was dead before this chicky came along. Now I don't know what to think."

He grinned and shook his head. His black eyes suddenly fell back upon Bulma, and he smiled.

"I can't believe he's alive. Man, I could have sworn he was dead, disappearing like that ain't something he's good at."

She smiled to humor him, since she didn't really have much to add to the conversation.

"Yep…"

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Man, I'm still tripped out. Vegeta, with a girlie. Can't believe it."

She raised an eyebrow, becoming slightly defensive (a natural instinct whenever someone seemed like they were dissing a friend of hers).

"What's so unbelievable about it?"

He looked up, a little shocked that she'd suddenly become so snappy, however he brushed it aside easily, used to such treatment from previous relationships. He lightly lifted his shoulders and let them drop lazily.

"I donno, he's a picky kinda guy, I guess. He's real careful when it comes to personal crap like that, and I just don't see him falling for another girl after that whole mess with Brae."

She perked up, her attention completely focused upon the muscular warrior to her side.

"Brae? Who's that?"

He closed his eyes softly, and scrunched the side of his face in a poor attempt to show indifference.

"She was his last girl, didn't blow over well. That's all I'll say on that. He ain't a guy to do things that might end up hurting him again and to think that he's with a simpleton like you..."

He paused and looked up to her, an almost parentally fond look flickering within his eyes.

"…I…"

He stopped himself, allowing him a couple moments of thought before he continued. Bulma had yet to see him take such caution towards his actions, and this suddenly careful air made her lust for the answer ignite.

"Ah, ain't much I wanna say about it."

Bulma leaned forward, looking up at him with sad, longing eyes of sweet blue, and she gave a miniscule pout to enhance the effect that had worked wonders upon every man she had ever known.

"Oh, please tell me. He never says a single word about his past or anything. I want to know just what he has been through."

He studied her and shook his head.

"Ma'am, you shouldn't worry about him. You've got your own future to worry about now. I mean, working under someone like Frieza is gonna be a helluva lot different then what you're used to. And I'd bet the people are gonna be a pain to cope with."

Her blue eyes fell and stared at the old table thoughtfully. A flicker of fear just barely graced the dark reaches of her mind, and the warrior straightened up and adopted a soft smile.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Miss."

Bulma picked up one of the glasses he had brought earlier, and took a sip of the cool water.

"I'm not."

He blinked as she continued.

"He'll just come and kick Frieza around like a rag doll, then take me home whenever he gets bored. I'm not the least bit worried about getting home."

She grinned and looked back to Chi-chi, who nodded in full agreement. They seemed so calm about everything, which confused both men at the table.

"I know that Goku will come here and save us. It's only a matter of time until he wakes up and sees that I'm gone."

She smiled fondly at the thought, and 18 nodded, proving that she too held no worry towards the future. The tall warrior rubbed his head and turned his eyes to Toronhar, who just shrugged and looked back to the girls.

"Well, you all seem like a great bunch, and I'd love to hang around a bit more and chat, but I gotta get moving to my post. It was nice meeting all of you, see you later Baldy."

He chuckled and dodged a punch that was thrown in his direction. He soon slipped out of the door to continue his monotonous day. The man still sitting at the table shook his head and picked up a dish of food. He handed it to Bulma (who sat nearest to him), and she passed it on to Chi-chi.

"What is this stuff?"

He handed her another bowl, and she handed it to Chi-chi as well (she had handed the other plate to 18).

"It ain't much of anything, but it fills ya enough to keep moving. And that's all you need out here."

He handed her the last bowl, and Bulma set it before herself. The gray glob of food definitely didn't seem like any food she had ever seen. It was more like poorly made, year-old oatmeal. She looked up to him and watched as he began snarfing down his portion, finishing an entire bowl in the few moments she watched him. He sighed and set the bowl down, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I wish they'd give us more food. This crap ain't enough to feed a bug."

Chi-chi stared at the bowl of mush and pushed it towards him.

"Have mine then. I lost my appetite."

He cheered and lunged for the dish, instantly inhaling the gruel as though it were a sweet perfume. 18 and Bulma glanced at each other and each pushed away their bowls. He snatched each plate and devoured the contents just as quickly. Chi-chi stared at him, and after he finished the last of their food, she sighed and shook her head.

"My gosh, you eat almost as much as my boys."

He paused and got a huge smile. He leaned his elbows on the table and watched her amusedly.

"Aw, you got kids? How many?"

She smiled proudly, always loving it when someone gave her the opportunity to talk about her family.

"Well, I have two sons. One is almost twenty years old and the other is eight."

Her eyes sparkled as a fawning look played with his thick face.

"Aw, an eight year old brat. Adorable. What are their names?"

She beamed, closing her eyes happily and nodding as she spoke each name.

"Gohan and Goten. Goten's the younger of the two."

He grinned, having always enjoyed hearing about people's family-lives. However, a thoughtful look sparked in the back of his eyes, slowly growing as the flame of confusion spread. He looked down at the table, thinking for a moment. Chi-chi noticed this and leaned forward curiously, since she always became much more affectionate towards those that took an interest to family.

"What's wrong?"

His black eyes narrowed slightly.

"I donno. I felt like I've heard that name before."

She blinked.

"What?"

He waved a hand, trying to find something mentally and simply using his hand to assist in whatever thought process he was using.

"One of your kids. Say their names again."

She raised a harmless eyebrow.

"Gohan and Goten. I don't see how you would have heard about either of them, though."

He snapped up and pointed a finger at her.

"That first one! Gohan! I've heard it before. Like, it's important, I think."

Chi-chi suddenly remembered something as the burly man searched for an answer to his question.

"Oh my gosh! I forgot all about him! We were supposed to meet up with him!"

Bulma perked up, remembering this as well.

"You're right. I wonder where he is."

She turned in her chair and glanced around the room. 18 suddenly pointed towards a table back in the corner.

"There. He's with a group of rowdy punks."

The man looked up, shrugging aside his thoughts for another time. He sighed and shook his head, about to say something when Chi-chi stood up. She turned and forced her way through the tables, and smacked Gohan upside the head when she finally got to him. His laughter was cut short by the blow, and he turned around quickly. His angry eyes softened dramatically when he saw that the offender was his mother. He quickly stood up with surprise at her appearance.

"Mom!"

Chi-chi glared and pointed a finger at his forehead.

"Don't you 'Mom' me, Gohan! You were supposed to meet up with us."

He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm sorry! I ran into these guys and I kinda got distracted…"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm.

"You're becoming more like your father everyday. Come on, you're going to come sit with us so we don't loose you again."

She turned and dragged him back to their table.

"We would have been completely lost had we not run into this kind-hearted man. I want you to meet him, you should try being like him instead."

She finally came to the table and stood next to her son.

"This is Gohan."

She hugged his arm as the bald warrior turned around to greet the new person. He nodded his great skull in greeting, and flashed a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet ya, Gohan."

Gohan was deathly silent. He stared at the thick face and found himself at a loss for words. The man stood up, towering over Gohan with his undeniably ominous bulk. His grin, however, stayed ever cordial. He would never forget that face. Oh no, he could never forget that face. Gohan's eyes widened as memories flashed through his head. Two men from another world, fear, sorrow, pain, death, loss…

All those recalled emotions, crawling up inside of him, overwhelming him, causing his throat to close. He could see it all, it was all his fault, all _his _fault, he was too scared, too weak, he couldn't handle anything. Piccolo had fallen by those hands, fallen as a warrior should, for him, only for him. Always his fault. Guilt washed over him in a cacophony of inner turmoil, bubbling up until his throat was tight with tears, and his teeth were sharp and bare.

It couldn't be. He was…_dead!_ But…it was. Before he could control his words, it came.

"Nappa."

It was spoken in a hiss that froze the souls of those watching.

_Nappa._

_**AN –** A note. Geros Mare is a sort of religious symbol for Saiyans. (pronounced 'Geh-ro-s Ma-reh') So it's like he said 'Jesus Christ!' or 'By Allah!' or something. XD -shrug- Just something I thought I'd throw in, since it's just a –little- overly unrealistic for him to say 'Jesus Christ!' XD Even though most of this isn't very realistic to begin with…oh well. Anyway, this was a fun little chapter to me to write. 'Till the next chapter, fare thee well_


	9. From One Ship to the Next

**. A Story with No Name . **

_**From One Ship to the Next**_

**AN** – _Ooooh. Yeah, Now **that's **what I call a clever title. XD Ok, I fucked it off, so sue me. I was racked for time. Anyway, here's another chapter. To all who be reading, I hope to have the next chap out come the Monday after Thanksgiving, but I don't really know. I'm spending next weekend with my dad, who doesn't have a computer, but I'll take my notebook and write as much as I can. And Happy Thanksgiving ahead of time. _

Gohan's eyes were wide with bewilderment and disbelief. The massive warrior blinked, not quite understanding why this new face looked upon him in such a manner. Nappa glanced towards Chi-chi, who now stared at her son in shock.

"…Gohan…?"

Chi-chi's voice was weak with discretion as her son turned his head the slightest measure towards her, never lifting his eyes from the bulky beast before him.

"Mom…it's…that's Nappa…"

She snapped her eyes towards the tall being, and stood unbelieving, having remembered the many tales of a warrior by that name. Nappa blinked, completely lost, and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his neck.

"Uh…yeah. Oh, right, I never introduced myself to you guys."

He hit his head with the base of his palm and turned to Bulma and 18. A soft smile fell across his face, and it was obvious that he felt rather embarrassed at forgetting such a customary action.

"Gosh, I'm sorry misses. I guess you know now, though…"

He looked down bashfully as Bulma stared at him in shock. 18, however, didn't see the importance of what was happening, having never been told of the day Vegeta came to Earth. Bulma's blue eyes glistened with surprise and utter fascination.

"You mean…you're Nappa?"

He looked up to her innocently and stared, dumbfounded yet again at her actions. A small nod dipped his head.

"Uh, yah."

She couldn't remove her eyes from the thick face.

"You're the same guy that came with Vegeta?"

He stared at her and glanced confusedly back to Chi-chi as though in search of assistance.

"Well, yeah. So what?"

Bulma shook her head and focused upon him once more.

"Well…I thought he killed you."

Realization sparkled within his eyes for a fleeting moment and he chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Aw, yeah, that. Well, I don't see why that's anymore shocking then Frieza being alive."

Bulma blinked, the information suddenly hitting her across the face like a ton of bricks. She had heard him talk about Frieza as though he was alive, but it had yet to click. Chi-chi and Gohan gasped at that, and Gohan jumped into Nappa's point of view.

"What? You mean, he's alive? How? When? What the heck?"

Nappa reared back slightly and laughed while waving his hand before Gohan's face.

"Whoa, calm down, Kid. Look, I don't know anymore then you. All I know is one day, I was suddenly poofed back onto Frieza's ship with a buncha other people. They were just as confused as me, and all Frieza said to us was 'Get you pathetic carcasses working. I didn't bring you back so you fools could start lollygagging around. Move it!'"

Nappa's voice shot up three octaves, mimicking Frieza in a manner that suggested he was a schoolgirl. Bulma couldn't help but giggle at the impression, but she soon quieted as Gohan showed signs of obvious distress. He sighed with obvious worry resting upon his mind, when a heavy hand fell upon Gohan's shoulder.

Gohan lifted his eyes to view the friendly face of the man that had terrorized him so long ago. It was a weird sight that only disturbed him more when Nappa spoke.

"Hey, whatever's botherin' you, just forget about it. You've still got a while to just relax, and you should do just that."

Gohan stared at him, and Nappa laughed.

"Jeez, Kid, you act like I'm some sorta rabid dog or somethin'."

He chuckled as Gohan glanced towards Bulma and his mother. Gohan looked back up to the friendly man and smiled nervously.

"Heh, I kinda…have a reason though, don't ya think?"

Nappa blinked, completely stumped by what Gohan said.

"You…do?"

Gohan laughed nervously and nodded weakly.

"Uh, yeah."

Nappa blinked when a thought suddenly sparked in his head.

"Aw man, did I like, kill your dad or somethin'?"

Gohan deadpanned the warrior, completely stunned at what he was hearing.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Nappa glanced over to Bulma and looked back to the half-Saiyan before him.

"Uh…no?"

Gohan laughed and shook his head.

"Holy cow, I can't believe you don't remember me."

Nappa blinked.

"Well, uh, am I supposed to?"

Gohan stared unblinking at Nappa, and simply shook his head.

"Well, uh, I was there when you and Vegeta came to Earth. You know, Kakarot's son?"

Nappa reared back, nearly choking on air, and he stared at Gohan with wide eyes.

"Shit! You can't be serious! You mean she's Kakarot's mate?"

He pointed to Chi-chi, dumbfounded by the information, and Gohan nodded. Nappa slapped his forehead with a hand.

"Holy shit! You mean…? Man, Shit. No wonder yall are lookin' at me so funny. Heh…"

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the faces.

"Ok, well, so that explains why you two are here. But…"

He pointed a finger at 18.

"But what about you?"

She narrowed her eyes and flicked her head away.

"I have no idea."

He blinked and grinned.

"Oh, I see. Then you're a perk."

He chuckled as she snapped a cold glare toward him. She rolled her eyes and focused her attention elsewhere. He shook his head and stretched.

"Well, hm. Yall just came last night, eh?"

Bulma slowly nodded, not sure what to expect now that she knew exactly who this man was. Nappa just nodded and motioned for her and 18 to stand.

"A'ight then, come on. I gotta go meet up with someone, but I'll show yall to your room."

Bulma shrugged and stood up as Nappa turned and led them through the cafeteria until he finally reached a door. He opened it and held it for the small group until they all had filled into the hallway. He shut the door and looked to Bulma.

"Just thought of somethin'. Who's your dude?"

She looked up and gave him a strange grin, knowing what he was talking about.

"Oh, his name's Tovke. Or, at least, I think so."

He stared at her for a moment, almost as though he didn't expect her to know. Nevertheless, he shrugged it away and nodded curtly.

"Lucky dogs. He's a good one. Normally just leaves people alone. Ok then, never mind."

He walked down the hall until he stood before the girls room, and, upon reaching the door, he turned to face them.

"This it, ain't it?"

Bulma nodded quizzically.

"Yeah, but how'd you know?"

He grinned knowingly.

"Tovke is one of the top guys when it comes to transporting people. He watches over the most precious and powerful of people 'till they get to wherever they're supposed to go. So he always boards his people in this room. It's the best one on the ship, believe it or not, and you could probably get a crazy Vegeta in here and nothing would happen to it. Heh."

Bulma smiled thoughtfully and opened the door, holding it for Chi-chi and Gohan as they walked in. 18 was watching Nappa cautiously, but soon brushed whatever was bothering her aside and followed after the duo. Bulma turned to Nappa after 18 walked inside and narrowed her eyes the smallest measure in curiosity.

"Hey, Nappa."

The warrior paused, having been about to walk away, and looked back curiously. He straightened up as Bulma ended the temporary silence.

"I was being serious when I asked you what you thought about Vegeta."

He stared at her, a timid confusion resting softly upon his brow. She took the chance to explain, knowing exactly how to deal with people like him thanks to the years she spent with Goku.

"You know? I asked what you thought of Vegeta, and you said that being with him was nothing but work."

His eyes widened the slightest measure with knowledge as he remembered the previous conversation.

"Oh, that. What about it?"

She rolled her eyes inwardly and spoke with a firm voice.

"I was being serious, and you gave me a sarcastic answer. What do you think of him?"

A slight touch of nervousness caressed the depths of his eyes, and Bulma laughed in a friendly manner to show she had only good intentions.

"Look, I won't tell him. I just wanna know. It's my nature."

He stared at her blankly, and after a moment, lowered his gaze and watched the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck in thought and shook his head while chuckling.

"I've really gotta get goin'. I'll try to visit you guys a little later; this ship's as boring as hell."

He dipped his head and clicked his heels, all as a sparkle rested in the depths of his black eyes.

"Good day, Miss."

He turned with a queer manner that showed his cordial, yet respective feelings towards the blue-haired woman. He quickly walked down the hallway, and turned around a corner out of sight. She rolled her eyes unconsciously and turned back inside. She sighed as the door softly shut behind her with a gentle squeak that almost seemed to call out a warning into the all-too-calm air.

……

Hours slowly dragged on as the small group sat cramped inside their room. Bulma and Gohan had started playing tic-tac-toe in the dust that clung to the walls, however they soon ran out of room and were forced to stare boredly at the walls in silence. After what felt like an eternity, a soft knock resonated through the room, and Bulma instantly jumped to answer. She opened it wide and bore a friendly smile, having been looking forward to seeing her new acquaintance.

"Hey Na…"

Her expression fell when she realized that three people stood before her, none of which being Nappa. Two men clad in the same armor as she (although their's seemed more regal and brilliant under the old light of the hallway) stood behind Tovke. The thick, black-haired man smiled softly and nodded in greeting. Bulma instantly dropped her carefree attitude and raised a questioning eyebrow. Tovke glanced over his shoulder at one of the men behind him, yet quickly returned his attention to the woman before him.

"Hello Miss. How was your night? Sleep well?"

Bulma nodded cautiously, watching the two men behind Tovke carefully.

"It was fine. Do you mind me asking who those men are?"

Tovke turned to view one of the men behind him.

"They are simply guards to ensure your safety during the transfer, ma'am."

She blinked as Gohan came up behind her. Tovke nodded to him as well in greeting yet quickly turned back to Bulma.

"Come with me."

He took a step back as Bulma cautiously walked forward. Gohan watched her as 18 and Chi-chi walked up behind him in curiosity. One of the two guards put his calloused hands upon her shoulders gently, yet firmly, as though he expected her to escape. Tovke looked to the remaining three and waved his hand.

"Come on, you too."

Gohan led the way while 18 and Chi-chi followed cautiously, still unsure as to what was happening. Tovke began walking down the hallway as the guard watching Bulma pushed her forward, not removing his hands for a second. The three others followed after Bulma, and the second guard took up the flank. They walked for a long while, until they came to a door far from their dorm. Tovke glanced over his shoulder towards the two guards behind him and lifted his first and middle finger, flicking them to his right, then down, and then pointing towards his head in some sort of sign. The guards nodded, and at that, Tovke turned the heavy latch that sealed the door. He pulled it to the side and proceeded traveling down the long, white hall, trusting that those following would continue as well. A thin, dark skinned woman with an unnaturally long face and strange clothes stood at the end of the hallway and nodded in acknowledgement towards the group. She easily turned the heavy latch and opened the hallway to an entirely new world.

As Tovke made his way forward, Bulma was the first to view the spectacular sight that seemed monotonous to the guard that followed her ever so closely. The ceiling stood beautifully above her head, so high that she could barely see it. Gohan soon followed and gaped at the sight. People of hundreds of descriptions bustled about with children, baggage, and queer beasts he could never have imagined. Lights ensured the feeling of day would never die as words and markings blinked and flickered magnificently with every color. The walls were made of glass with the occasional support beam artistically separating the dotted view of space. As they started walking into the mass of people, the crowd parted before Tovke with a swiftness that seemed mechanical. The previously garrulous crowd hushed as they stood watching the group pass. The soft roar from the various shops and attractions was the only noise as the group quietly walked towards a far door. There, waiting for them to come, was a tall, pale-skinned man with green hair and golden eyes.

Chi-chi glanced around the many faces that stared wide-eyed towards her, each pair of eyes (or set, depending upon the race) flickering with undoubted curiosity. She suddenly caught sight of a rare blotch of orange, and she snapped her eyes to focus upon what she thought was Goku. Her fleeting hope died, however, when she saw that it had simply been a small group of people wearing clothes that seemed unmistakably similar to Goku's gi. She watched them for a moment, and soon noticed how the orange-clad people stared in pure awe towards her (not seeming the least bit curious) and her son and never once glanced towards any one else. She narrowed her eyes but brushed her thoughts aside.

18 carefully scanned over every face when she noticed a group that watched from a distance. Her eyes narrowed as she studied them as she had all the others, and she watched them carefully when a female diverted her gaze from the front of the line and made eye contact. The passion and queer darkness within the woman's dark gaze surprised her as the two stared at each other, both in deep thought. 18 finally tore her gaze away and focused upon the pale-fleshed man that still stood so far away.

As they slowly stepped ever closer to the patient man that stood ominously against the pale walls of the station, darkness suddenly flooded into the area. Frenzied voices exploded and raged as mass confusion instantly took hold. The guards shouted to one another and haste rode upon their powerful voices. The guard holding Bulma's shoulders suddenly unleashed a shocking screech. His cold hands still grasped her shoulders as the muscles within each finger twitched violently against her flesh. Bulma turned around, filled with peaking paranoia, and looked into the dim face of her guard. His eyes were wide as he hacked and wheezed, yet not once did he soften his grip. The confusion and fear roared all around her as voices raged in defense and fear. Screams shrieked throughout the crowds as the masses of people began moving and shifting, knowing well of their sudden venerability. Bulma gasped, frightened as to why her guard suddenly acted in such a manner.

"Sir? Sir, what's wrong? Sir!"

Her questions only received strangled coughs in reply, and she soon discovered why. The warrior fell forward, forcing her down due to his bulk. She gasped, fearing the strange action, yet soon realized exactly what had happened. A dark, warm liquid drained across her torso, coating her and calling claim to any untouched flesh. She forced her shaky head to gaze upon him and watched as a thick blood poured from the great warrior's neck in unchecked torrents. A scream flew from the depths of her soul as her gaze made contact with his eyes, and she watched as he stared towards her with tender fear and hopelessness. All his strength escaped from the slash that snaked deeply through the center of his throat, and her screams only increased as she watched the man slowly fade, unable to move the great bulk and too terrified to even try.

The bulky body was suddenly flung away from her, and a pair of hands roughly grabbed her frail body. They lifted her up without the slightest thought and threw the bewildered woman across a broad shoulder. Screams of fear and shouts of anger consumed the air as women floundered in the darkness and the men shouted orders to defeat some unseen foe. Horrid slaps of flesh hitting metal resonated throughout the station and the blood curdling cracks of bone bore its sickening skull into her mind. She screamed and shouted at the demon of unknown description, fighting tooth and nail for freedom to no avail. Similar voices yelled into the darkness as Chi-chi and 18 both fought frantically against the darkness.

Even with her strength, 18 made no difference against the unmovable arms that held her close to a chiseled chest. She felt herself gliding swiftly through the air as her captor ran hurriedly to some unknown location. Other sounds of running feet beat with an unnaturally swift pace, and the faint world of darkness before her seemed to melt away into a world of dark confusion. Shouts from men erupted from behind them as the thieves easily dashed away from Tovke and the other workers of the station.

Darkness kept its cold hold upon their eyes, yet the sound of the swift, light-footed escape pounded in harmony with the beating of the girls' hearts. A few times, they felt as though they floated after launching into the air, yet gravity always regained its hold upon the defiant beasts that rushed to some secret place.

Suddenly, the creatures stopped and stood deathly still, darkness still cloaking every inch of the women's world, and after the last of their people gathered, a soft click was sounded as a door was sealed shut. The tense air relaxed, and the girls' captors unleashed their victims, allowing them to fall to the ground. Chi-chi squeaked painfully and quickly sat up in fear for her new situation. Bulma quickly crawled to the sound of her friend's voice, and soon touched Chi-chi's shaky knee. The two girls quickly grasped one another in fear and snapped their eyes around the room in panic. 18 sat not far away, as the strange masses of shadow shifted before their eyes. The strangers grumbled and mumbled in some queer speech whose rustic tone increased the terror within their hearts.

One smaller shadow made its way to the small group of girls as various shouts flew across the room. The creature paused before them just as the room began vibrating and jolted with enough force to knock a grown man from his feet. Chi-chi and Bulma slowly looked up to the faint shape of a head, and watched as the stranger knelt before them. A soft, almost seductive voice spoke towards the fearful girls in a gentle, feminine tone.

"_Ase, ner harente so darhon._"

Bulma relaxed upon hearing a feminine voice, feeling much safer with another woman in the area, and watched the shadowy figure with curiosity. The texture of her voice was reassuring and kind, but the girls weren't about to relax completely after the ruckus caused. Her voice suddenly screeched out a quick order to one of the other men, and lights from above flickered on, filling the room with a clean glow. The sudden brightness blinded the three girls, but after a few moments, their eyes adjusted to the change. Their frantic eyes darted about the room, as though fearing that this moment of enlightenment would be fleeting. Several large, heavily built men were scattered around the room, sitting in chairs or leaning comfortably against the walls as though they had been resting there for hours. 18 quickly looked to the woman who knelt before them, and scanned over her in hopes of collecting every detail.

She was a thin, yet obviously powerful, woman with long, black hair that wielded an exotic will of its own. Her face was well built and sleek, and she wore a ragged outfit that seemed to have been made straight from old, brown rags. When 18 met her gaze of black, she instantly recognized the passion that burned beautifully within the woman's gaze and inhaled a small breath in surprise. She was the same woman she had seen before the lights went out. Chi-chi suddenly lashed out, and her dark eyes glistened with her natural prowess.

"Who the hell are you people?"

The woman laughed softly and gently nudged Chi-chi's knee playfully with the back of her hand.

"Don't you worry. We aren't going to kill you chicks or anything."

Chi-chi's glare stayed undaunted by the reassuring words, though her voice proved that she was hesitant about continuing her argument. Bulma spoke quickly, assisting her friend's protest.

"And how do we know that isn't some lie?"

The exotic woman simply laughed at the question.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Bulma and Chi-chi side-glanced on another and sent a unified glare towards the strange woman. She caught this gaze and adopted an understanding look.

"Hey, don't worry. I won't let any of these bad men touch you."

She gave a playfully accusing look to one of the closer men, and he laughed while shaking his head.

"Oh yeah, I'm so into them."

He held out his hands towards the three girls and twirled his fingers around mockingly.

"Ooo, you better watch out."

He laughed again and a few others joined in his dark merriment. Chi-chi leaned forward, glaring fiercely towards the joyful woman.

"Ok, if you guys don't mean us harm, then where's my Gohan?"

Her voice shrieked in anger and the strange woman withdrew in slight shock. She recovered quickly, however, to answer the temperamental woman's question.

"Your son? Well…"

She paused, trying to find the best way to say what was on her mind. Her features softened as she gained a compassionate aura.

"He's with us, obviously, but he got in the cross-fire of our mission. One of our people mistook him for a guard and attacked him in the confusion. It's understandable, your brat's a lot older then any of us planned. Anyway, we realized our mistake and as of now, he's currently in the medical wing of the ship."

Although her word choice appeared rather crude and demeaning, her voice still held its gentle, sympathetic tone as though calling someone's child a 'brat' wasn't a form of degradation. Chi-chi noted the way she spoke, rather the words she used, since she understood the difference between cultures that naturally resided. However, the message that the woman had spoken sliced fear through her heart. Her eyes widened with shock and she drew her hand to her lips.

"What?"

She was quiet, still collecting her newfound information, when she suddenly exploded with rage.

"What did you do to my baby boy!"

She lunged forward and clasped her hands around the woman's neck. Every eye snapped towards the scene with shock and anger, yet the warriors kept their place unwillingly. The woman's black eyes were wide once more with surprise, and although an insane mother was trying to strangle her, she didn't make a single move to restrain her. Chi-chi's hysterical attack soon faded as she saw that no one rushed forward to calm her down or return her to her place (as some people might say). Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes as she stared confusedly towards the woman within her grasp. She pulled back awkwardly, and watched the queer woman who had only stared at her while Chi-chi tried to kill her. The black-haired woman brushed aside a lock of misplaced hair and began her reply as though nothing had happened.

"He received a serious blow to the head, but I assure you, we will fix him up and inform you of his progress as it comes."

Chi-chi stared at her.

"So, he's…here?"

She glanced around and softly mumbled under her breath.

"Wherever 'here' is…"

The other woman smiled, seeming to have completely forgotten the previous outburst of violence.

"Of course, when we realized our mistake, we hurried him back here before we brought the three of you."

Chi-chi looked down, deciding to simply accept what the other woman said.

"When can I see him?"

Chi-chi's voice was suddenly weak with worry, and the woman smiled empathetically. She laid a hand on Chi-chi's knee in comfort.

"You can see him soon. They're just putting him in the rejuvenation tank, and after they've set him up, you can go in."

Chi-chi nodded meekly, worry emanating from her psyche in waves, and Bulma placed a comforting arm upon her back. The blue-haired woman soon looked up from her friend's fear and gazed towards the stranger, watching her through narrowed eyes of suspicion.

"So, why did you kidnap us like that?"

The other woman perked up, almost, at the more prominent question. She sat back onto the floor and leaned back on one arm. The other perched itself upon one elevated knee, while her other leg laid comfortably upon the floor.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story."

Bulma narrowed her eyes, showing that she didn't care and simply wanted answers. The girl smiled and began.

"Well, after we all came back from Hell, we took a look at our resources. A few groups dispersed quickly in order to slip under Frieza's nose and make some sorta plan. We were one of those groups, and we met a guy that was in-the-know. He told us that Prince Vegeta was still alive, so we tried to figure out exactly where he was. Go figure, Frieza was doing the same thing, and rumor was going around that Frieza got a hold of His followers. Well, we knew that _Der_ Nappa had taken up workin' at Frieza's favorite slave ship, so we had him stay on the lookout for any new faces. He sent us a message that Lord Vegeta's mate was on the ship, and boom, here we are."

Bulma blinked, surprised that there had been so much behind it all. Her eyes narrowed the slightest touch in thought.

"Ok, so…why do you want us?"

A grin caressed the woman's face as she spoke.

"Well, we can't let _you_ fall into the Emper's hand. You're Prince Vegeta's mate."

Bulma glanced towards 18, and then quickly looked down to Chi-chi.

"Well, what about them?"

She smiled and shrugged softly.

"I donno, _Der_ Nappa didn't say much. He was obviously racked for time. He just told us that there was going to be three girls and a boy."

She shook her head disapprovingly.

"If he woulda just said young man, or man, then we woulda known that he was going to be older. But he's just like that, always making everyone sound younger."

She chuckled softly and shook her head.

"I still don't see why though. Hey, Korta, where is he anyway?"

The man closest to the group looked up and lightly lifted his powerful shoulders to show his indifference.

"How the hell should I know? He's probably still tendin' to the gamin."

She rolled her eyes, sending a reprimanding glare towards Korta.

"Hey, don't say somethin' like that. To hell if you know who he is. He could be _Der_ Vegeta's kid, he's old enough."

Korta sent an empty glare towards her, and simply looked back to the ground. The woman rolled her eyes and looked back to Bulma. The scientist blinked, suddenly feeling more comfortable with the sudden flicker of hope.

"Wait, you mean, he's on the ship?"

The girl laughed and nodded.

"Of course he is. He's part of this little brigade, why else do you think he was on that ship? Jeez, you Earthlings really are slow."

Bulma growled from the offensive remark and scrunched her face in distaste.

"Well, excuse me. A lot of stuff has happened. It's hard to keep track of it all."

The woman nodded while containing her giggles, and finally spoke in a voice that hardly reached the apologetic tone it was meant.

"I know, I know. Just can't help it. I always get really active after a bout like that."

Her smile sharply contrasted Bulma's cold glare, and suddenly the woman perked up, as though remembering something.

"Damn, we haven't met yet, have we?"

She dipped her head in a quick nod.

"My name is Takirhare, but most people just call me Tak."

Bulma's glare faded to one of blank indifference.

"I'm Bulma, this is Chi-chi, and she's 18."

She indicated each person as she spoke their name, and looked back to Takirhare. She smiled and opened her mouth to say something when a large shadow suddenly loomed behind her. Tak turned her head around and glared up to the massive warrior's face, and slapped his leg in a show of false anger.

"Geez, what took ya?"

Nappa chuckled and looked towards the small group. His thick face softened as he watched Chi-chi.

"Ma'am, you can see him if ya want."

Chi-chi's previously melancholy actions disappeared at his words, and she jumped to her feet. Her hands grabbed Nappa's armor and pulled him down harshly.

"Then take me to him!"

His eyes showed his shock, but he quickly gathered a humored look and grinned.

"Alrighty, come on."

He turned and started walking to some unknown region of the ship with Chi-chi stalking him the whole way. Bulma glanced towards Takirhare, and the woman simply nodded in reply to Bulma's silent question. The blue-haired woman jumped to her feet, quickly following after Nappa, and 18, after seeing the other's actions, grudgingly stood and walked after them. Nappa paused by a door as it opened on its own, and walked inside with the group of females following him. He finally stood before a large tank with a small window that showed the demi-Saiyan. Chi-chi lunged forward and placed her hands softly upon the cool glass. She stared inside and watched her son as the blue-green liquid swirled about him calmly, playing with the locks of his black hair. Her face softened at the sight.

"Oh…Gohan…"

Her eyes glistened with tears at the sight of her oldest son weakened and helpless within some strange tank with a breathing mask and various tubes connected to his body. Her eyes closed tightly when a large hand rested upon her shoulder. She turned and gazed into Nappa's sweetly compassionate gaze.

"He'll be fine. He's just gotta rest for an hour or so."

Chi-chi narrowed her eyes sadly and looked to the ground thoughtfully.

"You sure?"

He grinned a warm smile and nodded.

"A'course, we've got a doctor that'll watch over him and fix anything that goes wrong."

He threw his eyes towards a purple-skinned man who sat near a control box sipping on a dark liquid and reading through a magazine. Green and blue lights blinked steadily upon the keyboard to show that everything was working properly and that there was no need for alarm.

She nodded weakly and closed her eyes.

"All right…"

He helped her stand up and led her back into the main area. The two other women followed quietly as Nappa led Chi-chi to a small sofa. She sat back against the soft fabric and laid her head back in an attempt at relaxation. Her eyes were closed as she took a moment to enjoy the rich texture of the fabric that coated the couch, and she lifted a drowsy hand to softly caress the gentle fabric. Her eyes opened as she stared towards her hand, and she softly spoke without removing her gaze.

"This is…beautiful. What is it?"

Nappa had turned and plopped down onto an old couch. Tak lifted her dark eyes to watch Chi-chi curiously and smiled when she saw her reaction.

"It's one of our prized possessions. It was made on the planet Alador and adorned with the pelt of the rare Belysnec Deer."

Chi-chi lifted her head and stared at her blankly, and Tak laughed and shook her head.

"Alador is the top planet when it comes to the arts, and the Belysnec Deer is one of the rarest creatures in space. Only found on three planets, can you imagine?"

Her voice was almost dreamy as she spoke of the wealthy aspect of the room, and her eyes glistened with the natural pride that came when one owned rare items. Nappa chuckled and shook his head, looking back to Chi-chi.

"I bet that it's just an old couch that was made to look fancy-shmansy."

Takirhare glared at the bulky warrior and slapped his arm.

"It was not. Don't try to depress."

The two chuckled and Nappa shrugged in closure. He then looked up to Bulma and threw his thumb towards one of the far doors.

"Well, you guys'll sleep in there, if you were wondering of whatever. I think we have a TV in there if yall get bored. Can't remember though."

He rubbed the back of his head and glanced back towards Tak.

"Hey, when you startin' supper? I'm starved."

She straightened up and nodded. She turned and ran towards another door.

"Damn, totally forgot."

She grumbled to herself as she dashed inside a far room, instantly disappearing behind the metallic walls. Nappa laughed to himself and shook his head, looking back towards the small group of women.

"Well, she won't be done for a few hours. Make yerselves at home. The bathroom's got that red thing on the door, and like I said earlier, that door over there is your room. If Gohan's better before supper, I'll holler at ya."

Bulma looked towards the rooms he indicated, eyeing the bathroom carefully.

"Could I take a shower?"

He grinned and nodded, waving his hand towards the bathroom.

"Go right on ahead, I'll make sure nobody bothers ya. All the stuff's in there. You need some clothes or somethin'?"

She nodded and Nappa stood to walk into a different room. 18 stood as well and walked inside the bedroom he had indicated. She fell onto the bed, happy that she could be alone for a while. Chi-chi, however kept her place on the couch when Nappa returned carrying an old, wrinkled t-shirt and a pair of strange pants. He held them out to Bulma, who smiled thankfully and eagerly walked into the bathroom.

As her friend left, Chi-chi leaned her head back onto the gentle furs of the couch and inhaled deeply and calmly. Her eyes flitted closed as she rested against the cushions, suddenly realizing how tired she felt. Her mind teemed with the thoughts and memories that had occurred throughout the past hours, yet they soon faded to a soft, soothing hum. A familiar face gently formed within her mind's eye. It slowly turned to gaze towards her, and the man's simple gaze lit a smile upon her face. His black eyes were so innocent and joyful, yet he looked towards her with so much care dripping from his gaze. Those long locks of hair were characteristic to him alone, and her heart softened upon seeing that familiar beacon of hope. A single thought slid from her consciousness as sleep took its pleasant hold upon her mind.

_Please remember me…Goku…_

_**AN – **Heh, something like…happened in this chapter. Yeah. There were a few little language things in this one. Don't worry, I won't do that too much. I'm mainly trying to give it that 'not earth' feel. –shrug- The only one you need to know about was when Takirhare said 'Der Nappa'. Der is kinda like…sama for Japanese, or Sir for English. It's Saiyan, yeah… o.o I'll probably use it in later chapters. So now you're in the know XDD Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. And until next time, fare thee well… _


	10. Sir Chicken from Noodlevertonville

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**Sir Chicken from Noodlevertonville**_

**AN** – _XP Yes, this is a stupid chapter. XD Took forever and it ain't that great. Just got bored while visiting family and this was the result. XP Warning – Read at your own discretion. Writer takes no responsibility for any outrageously massive drops in the reader's IQ. Read at your own expense. _

Darkness lay before their eyes. Goku giggled as his body gently floated away from his chair, although his seat belt prevented him from floating away completely. Trunks and Goten squeaked and giggled as they felt this new sensation, and the two instantly began fiddling with their seat belts in order to fully enjoy the zero gravity. Vegeta growled and swiftly undid his seat belt and allowed his muscular body to float away from the group. Goten and Trunks continued fighting with their restraints when Vegeta snapped his head angrily towards them.

"Stop that. Just stay in your seats until the gravity comes back on. Damn piece of shit…already breaking down…"

He grumbled to himself and flailed elegantly (can you imagine?) until he regained his balance. He flew towards the door of the control room and pulled himself inside. The instant Vegeta disappeared behind the metal walls, Trunks unlatched the seat belt and giggled devilishly. Goten whined and flailed his arms by his sides.

"Trunks, get me outta here! I wanna fly!"

Trunks grinned evilly and crossed his legs in the air.

"You already know how to fly, Dork."

Goten whined again and glared daggers towards his torturous friend. He quickly abandoned any hope that Trunks would help him escape and started attacking the restraints tooth and nail. He finally bit through one strap that held him hostage, and he cheered as he floated up towards Trunks.

Goten used a small amount of ki to push himself towards Trunks, and he threw a vengeful punch at his friend's jaw. Trunks shrieked and tried to dodge, yet couldn't move quickly enough in the weightlessness of space. Goten punched him and sent him spinning away, who started giggling as he started spinning as well due to backlash. Goku had followed his son's actions, easily ripping through the belt that held him down, and giggled gaily at his newfound freedom. He slowly spun around vertically and laughed.

"Yeah! I'm like…floating!"

Trunks and Goten giggled at the oafish man's reaction and flew towards him. Each boy grabbed one of Goku's arms and started flying clockwise, taking their new prize along for the ride. This, in effect, caused Goku to start spinning, and when Trunks and Goten finally unleashed their captive, the older Saiyan continued with his swift twirls. He screamed as he spun, unable to stop himself and too confused to try.

"Ah! Holy crap! Gwaahh! Vegeta help me! I'm lost in a spinning vortex of evil, maniacal children!"

Vegeta pulled himself to look at the floating trio and rolled his eyes at the scene. He gave a bored look towards Piccolo, who seemed just as intolerant towards the immature actions as he, and spoke in a voice that held a little too much honesty.

"I hope you know that you have permission to disembowel them with a blunt object."

Piccolo looked up to Vegeta and smiled at the comment.

"I know, I just don't want to get my hands dirty."

Vegeta grinned sadistically.

"Darn."

Vegeta glanced back towards the three and rolled his eyes angrily. He mumbled to himself while retreating to the room, hurrying to finish fiddling with the ship's controls. Krillin laughed as Goku tried to fly in order to stop his spinning, only to slam into a wall. The action had stopped the spinning, yet Goku was now whimpering and rubbing the new bump on his head.

Goten and Trunks erupted into laughter, and in retaliation, Goku grinned evilly (or as evilly as Goku could). He flew towards the two, cackling maniacally (once again, as maniacally as Goku possibly could), and at this, the two children screamed and flailed in a poor attempt at escape.

Goku grabbed the two quickly and cackled while tickling Goten, causing the young look-alike to erupt in uncontrollable laughter. Trunks laughed and grabbed a spike of Goku's hair and tugged, causing the older man to squeak in pain and turn his focus onto Vegeta's only son.

Krillin's never-ending laughter increased and decreased softly, depending upon who was doing what, when his weight suddenly returned. The three children fell to the ground in a pile and each voice squealed in shock and pain. Krillin exploded in laughter and he held his sides, unable to regain his composure. The unintentional offense made by Goku was quickly corrected as the two boys trapped under his bulk began flailing their arms.

Their squeals and bouts of joyous shouts soon trickled to silence as Goku saw a pair of all-too-familiar boots appear before his vision. One foot tapped impatiently as he slowly pushed himself up and innocently looked up to see the angered expression that rested perfectly upon Vegeta's face. The Prince's arms were folded across his chest, and the glare he sent had a reprimanding air. Goku finally sat up and pouted towards the angered man.

"Aw, what's with you?"

Vegeta snarled and his glare darkened.

"Dear god Kakarot, it's not that hard to sit patiently in a chair for a few seconds."

Goku's pout increased, yet soon morphed to a childish smile as he spoke.

"Aw, c'mon Vegeta! We were just havin' some fun."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and gave Goku a very haughty look.

"You immature dirt clod. Now get up and collect the last few shreds of you dignity. Neanderthal."

Goten sat up and joined in his father's protest.

"Aw, c'mon Uncle Veggie-boy! We were jus playin'…"

Vegeta gave a look of disgust towards the young child. His eyes narrowed fiercely in anger.

"For one, Boy, you shouldn't take part in child's play. And for another, my name is _not_ Uncle Veggie-boy. I'm not your uncle, so stop calling me that, you twat."

Vegeta pointed a harsh finger towards Goku's youngest son, glaring coldly into the innocently shocked gaze. Goten looked down to the ground, hurt by what the older man had said, and he nodded meekly in reply. Vegeta grumbled against his throat and turned on his heels, quickly walking back to the small control room. Goten pouted and glared cutely at the ground as Krillin walked over (having just won the fight with his seat belt).

"Aw…that was mean."

He knelt down in front of Goten and smiled a genuine Krillin smile. Goku scoot over to sit beside his short friend, watching his son's reaction as the bald man spoke in comfort.

"Don't feel so bad. I bet he didn't mean it."

Goten scrunched his eyes tightly shut and shook his head savagely before reopening his eyes with a calm demeanor.

"No…he did…he hadta. He never said that to me…"

Goku smiled and chuckled, plopping his hand on his son's head.

"Aw, Squirt, he always says that. He's just like that, but you know that."

Goten shook his head and looked up to his father through his eyebrows.

"But he never said it like that…"

Adoration fell across Goku's face as the bulky Saiyan leaned forward and gave his son a bear hug. He released Goten and smiled warmly towards his son. Krillin watched this with a grin on his face, but he quickly turned his focused back upon Goten.

"That don't matter. He's real stressed right now, I'm sure he'll be back to his old self in no time."

Goten looked up to the nose-less face and smiled meekly, nodding to show that he understood.

"Yah, ok. I guess that makes sense."

Goten grinned for a moment, yet soon remembered something that caused his mouth to fly open. He gasped loudly and bolted for the window. He pressed his face against the glass and stared wide-eyed into the speckled space. Trunks ran up beside his friend and watched as the small dots glided by the window. Goku glanced towards Krillin, who in return flashed a simple smile. Piccolo gazed towards the window as well and instantly became lost in the queer, captivating expanse of space. Vegeta walked back into the main room, about to say something of great importance (like always), when he saw that everyone was staring towards the windows, entranced like all were at the thought of flying through space.

He sighed and leaned against the wall, waiting with exceptional patience until Goku finally pried his eyes away and glanced towards Vegeta. Goku blinked, watching the blankness resting in Vegeta's eyes, and he turned more of his focus upon the older man. He took a few moments to ponder, curious as to why Vegeta suddenly seemed so different. It finally hit him and Goku chuckled softly in order to draw attention to himself.

"Man, it must be funny."

Vegeta looked to Goku, regaining a small amount of his usual anger.

"What?"

Krillin chuckled as well, seeing what Goku was talking about.

"Us freaking out about being in space. We must seem like a buncha kids."

Vegeta looked to the ground and spread a gentle smile upon his face.

"Not really. Everyone acts like that for the first few times."

Krillin grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"He-yeah, I'm sure. So, where we goin' anyway? We left kinda quick, and I just realized that I have no idea what we're tryin to do."

Vegeta grinned towards Krillin and shook his head.

"Took you long enough."

Krillin laughed and rubbed the back of his head as Vegeta simply closed his eyes thoughtfully.

"I already said that I knew who took them, did I not?"

Goku and Krillin nodded, eager to learn their future plans.

"Well, there you go. There isn't much he can do with a bunch of women, so I know exactly what he's planning to do with them."

Krillin nodded slowly.

"So then…what are you planning to do?"

Vegeta sighed quietly and rubbed his head, mumbling under his breath before continuing.

"We're going to see if we can intercept him before he gets to wherever he's headed. He'll listen to me before anyone else, but he's got quite the start. We may have to work a…little bit harder to accomplish our goal."

He spoke with a tender sarcasm that hinted towards the understatement in his words. His gaze fell to the floor. Krillin watched him carefully.

"So, where's this Turles guy taking them?"

Vegeta closed his eyes.

"Frieza."

Krillin lifted a finger, pointing towards Vegeta coolly.

"Wait, you mean he's alive too? How's this happening? I mean, they can't just come back to life like that after all this time. I mean, the dragon balls can only bring back people that died within a year's time, and it's been like, 8 years or whatever since he was killed."

Piccolo looked up from his meditation, watching their conversation with wise eyes. Vegeta glanced towards the window as he began his reply.

"Like I would know how they bent the rules on that one."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, watching the prince carefully.

"Well…so how do you know he's even alive? I mean, I can't sense him or anything. Am I just loosing my edge or what?"

Vegeta's eyes grew exceptionally dark at this, and he sent a deathly serious look towards the bald man.

"I know he's alive."

Krillin lowered the opposite brow, narrowing that eye suspiciously.

"How so?"

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed with the bubbling warning of a dormant anger.

"I just do, and if you doubt my assumptions, then go on back to your little planet and wait for your bitch to return."

Krillin withdrew at the cold lashing, and he looked to the ground thoughtfully. He shrugged his shoulders, showing a touch of indifference towards Vegeta's actions.

"Alright, cool it. I was just askin'. So what, we heading to Frieza's then if we can't catch up with Turles?"

Vegeta's face scrunched in anger, and he lifted away from the wall with clenched fists.

"End of discussion. You know what you need too, now look. Bathroom, closet, forbidden, bedroom, and captain's quarters."

With each quickly spoken word, Vegeta pointed to a different door, pointing out the entirety of the ship in a second in order to shorten the time he'd have to spend in their presence. The 'forbidden' he spoke of was the door that led outside, and at his restriction, the boys turned their heads.

"Why's it forbidden?"

Trunks asked his question with an angelic mask that covered his devious soul. Goten watched Vegeta innocently while Trunks pouted the smallest measure. Vegeta sent a deadly glare towards his son and snarled a response.

"Because it's the door that keeps us in and space out, dumbass. Just don't touch it unless I say so. That is, of course, unless you want everyone onboard to get sucked into the vacuum of space and drift, all alone, for the rest of eternity with nothing but condescending emptiness and death to ease your pain."

Trunks started blankly towards his father, a little shocked at the unusually cruel words he spoke. Vegeta lifted a hand to his head, rubbing his temples for a moment in thought. He sighed irritably and walked back towards the control room. He paused before disappearing, looking back as he sent a much weaker glare to the group.

"Now, just…don't bother me. Oh, and try not to kill each other. Food is in the closet, which should be where all of our supplies are, so if you need something it's probably in there. Just don't mess with anything you can't name, all right?"

He almost whined his final words, and with that, he turned back into the small room packed with electronics. Goku and Krillin glanced towards each other and sighed with momentary defeat.

……

"I'm bored."

Krillin moaned while staring at the ceiling. Goku sat up and whimpered.

"I'm hungry."

Krillin sat up too.

"You know, me too. Let's go see what there is to eat."

Goku cheered and jumped to his feet as Krillin stood. They walked to the closet, and Krillin opened the door wide so they could see inside. It was a small storage room that had shelves lined with bags and small boxes. The two gaped at the sight (simply because of their boredom) and slowly walked inside the hallway.

"Would'ja get aloada this? Dang, and he called this a closet…"

Goku gazed around the room in childish fascination, and Krillin chuckled at his friends predictable actions. Krillin reached up and grabbed a bag, pulling it off the shelf and opening it to see inside. He pulled out one of the many cans and looked over the label.

"Chicken Noodle soup. How's that sound?"

Goku beamed and snatched the can out of his hand.

"Perfect! I'm starved. Wait, there's more, right?"

Krillin laughed and pulled out two more cans.

"Yep. What, you think Mrs. Briefs is that stupid?"

Goku grinned a mischievous smile that caused Krillin to laugh. The bald warrior fiddled around the bag a while longer, looking at the different types of canned food.

"How many you gonna eat?"

Goku perked up.

"A lot! How many is there?"

Krillin looked up and grinned towards his friend.

"Goku, you can't eat all of it. It needs to last. Here's a few more, I'll only let you eat those."

Krillin threw Goku 3 more cans and grabbed one for himself. He chuckled at Goku's look of distress.

"Man Goku, I'll never get over how much you eat."

Goku's bottom lip trembled in sarcasm, and Krillin broke into a strong laughter.

"Aw, quit your whinnin' and help me find something to cook this stuff. Or open it, at least."

Krillin started rummaging around, sifting through the bags of food in search of a can opener and some decent dishes when he heard the sound of aluminum bending behind him. He whipped around to see Goku biting into the top of the can and pulling at the lid with his teeth until if finally popped off. Krillin's eyes snapped open, and he shuddered at the thought of teeth grinding on metal. Goku, however, seemed completely unfazed after the brutal use of his teeth. Goku spit out the sharp edge of the can and giggled at his accomplishment. He held the soup in one hand while collecting a small amount of ki in the other. He held his glowing hand just underneath the can and started cooking the condensed soup while it was still inside the can. The light from his ki highlighted the devilish grin of naïve origin as the can heated up and the soup within began cooking.

Suddenly, in the midst of Goku's sadistically contained giggles (bluntly put, he sounded like an evil elf), the paper label exploded into flames within Goku's grasp. Goku screamed and began waving the can around in complete confusion. Krillin jumped to his feet and began running around in circles, screaming like some sort of wild banshee, only to increase Goku's fear. Goku finally realized that he was holding a flaming can, and threw it into the back of the hallway. He then bolted out of the hallway, screaming all the while, and Krillin quickly followed after his orange–clad friend as he waved his arms hysterically around his head. The two began running around the room in circles, screaming and babbling nonsense. Trunks and Goten, at the older men's actions, unleashed screams of their own, and began flailing their arms around, instantly joining the mass of confusion and blind fear. Piccolo jumped out of his silent meditation and began jumping around the room, screaming in a demanding tone for some sort of explanation to their hysteria.

Their screams reached the sharp ears of a certain Saiyan prince, and at this, he jumped from his seat and dashed through the door into the main room. He soon joined in Piccolo's random bounces across the room, frantically searching for a reason to the sudden explosion of fear. Vegeta suddenly back-handed Goku as the bulky Saiyan passed by him.

"What the hell is your problem?"

Haste rode upon his voice as Goku squirmed on the floor before him. Goku looked up with pure fear glistening in his eyes, and he instantly recognized the offender. He jumped up and grabbed Vegeta's shirt, shaking him violently and speaking quickly.

"Oh-my-god there was a can and I was hungry an' Krillin was stupid n' I didn'do an'thin' bu'th' chicken noodle thingy like exploded and holy-cow-nuts-oh-my-g…"

Vegeta slapped him and grabbed his shirt as Goku began to pull away.

"Get a hold of yourself! What the fuck is wrong?"

Goku whimpered and pointed a finger towards the hallway. Vegeta snapped his head around just in time to view a fiery explosion blast out from the depths of the closet. Screams of surprise once more lashed out as the group flailed about the ship, flailing in the unorganized attempt at calming the flames. Vegeta lashed orders, calling for people to bring water quickly.

"You Dumb-asses, come on! There's a bucket under the sink, fill it and get your good-for-nothing carcasses back out here."

Trunks and Goten bolted to the bathroom at Vegeta's orders, while Goku and Krillin continued their frenzied flailing around the ship. Vegeta shouted towards them with haste upon his voice yet a dead calm within his eyes.

"Kakarot! Bald man! Quit screaming like a bunch of school-girls and go find some rags or something to kill the fire. Go!"

Goku and Krillin squeaked and ran out of sight just as Trunks came back carrying a bucket with his clothes drenched after spilling half the water on himself in the rush.

"Here, Dad."

Vegeta snatched the half-empty bucket and threw the contents inside the raging inferno. He looked at it and agitatedly threw it back to his son.

"Fill it, Boy! And don't spill it all over yourself, hurry!"

Trunks ran back to the bathroom as Goku returned with a massive bundle of cloth soaked in water and dripping in his grip.

"Here, Vegeta."

The saiyan snatched the fabric and lunged through the door of fire. The flames flicking through the doorframe died for a moment due to Vegeta's actions, yet a faint rumble gave birth to an even greater amount of flames. Vegeta quickly reappeared covering his face, nearly falling on the way. He landed and quickly turned around to watch the ever-worsening fire. He mumbled to himself for but a moment until Trunks came back. The young boy gave his father the bucket and Vegeta instantly grabbed it and fled back into the depths of the raging fire. He threw the empty bucket back out after a moment, which Trunks instantly caught and ran back to the bathroom to refill it. The flames faltered for a moment, as the small group watched in frozen trepidation. Suddenly a gloved hand shot out, the flames dancing across its pale surface with an eerie pleasure, and grabbed Goku by the shirt. He pulled the disillusioned saiyan inside and when Goku began screaming again, Vegeta backhanded him.

"Listen, Fool! Take off your shirt and beat the flames down."

He whipped around and grabbed the sheets Goku had previously soaked, and quickly disappeared behind the wall of fire that separated him from safety. He soon returned with a bucket of water and Krillin who held a pile of soaking wet sheets in his arms. Vegeta threw the water against one of the flaming shelves and threw the bucket back outside to the waiting boys. Krillin flung out the sheets like a net and instantly killed the flickering flames beneath. Vegeta pointed towards the door after seeing Krillin's actions.

"Get those wet again, hurry!"

Krillin grabbed up the warm sheets and jumped through the door. After seeing that Krillin tended to his duties, Vegeta turned back to Goku's consistent patting and smothering. Vegeta dropped to his knees and joined Goku's efforts, using his gloved hands to smother the flames rather then a shirt. Krillin reappeared through the flames and squeezed the balled up cloth in his hands, flicking the excess water around the area of most imminent danger. He then threw the wet sheets over a group of sacks that were burning ferociously and instantly killed the flickering fire beneath. A meek voice rose above the roar of the flames.

"Father?"

Vegeta, upon hearing this, dashed outside once more and grabbed the bucket from his son's hands. He soon dove back into the veil of fire and threw the water towards the most furiously burning sections of shelves. The action instantly quenched the passionate hunger of fire, and he chunked the bucket back outside. Goku continued patting at the small embers until the last had finally dissipated.

The three walked out of the smoking room and plopped down on the floor. Goku was shitless and held a tattered orange cloth in his hand. Krillin's previously new clothes were now burned and tattered from the constant heat. Vegeta, however, seemed almost completely unfazed by his deadly endeavor. Only a few tears and burns called claim to his outfit, and although he had used his gloves as the only protection against the fire, they too only showed the slightest signs of wear.

They all sat in silence as the three rubbed burns or scrapes and inspected the damage done to their clothes. Vegeta leaned back onto his hands and closed his eyes, still buzzing from the previous commotion.

"Ok…so, what happened?"

Goku looked towards Vegeta and tried to flash an energetic smile.

"Well, like I said. Krillin was stupid and gave me an exploding can."

Vegeta sent a weak glare towards Goku and diverted his attention to Krillin.

"Well?"

Krillin grinned, still greatly humored by the whole incident.

"Goku tried to cook a can of Chicken Noodle soup with his ki, but he didn't take off the label so it caught fire. He threw it back in the back and we came running out here."

Vegeta sent a glare towards Goku, who sent a playfully angry stare towards Krillin.

"Thanks ol'Buddy. Now he's gonna kill me."

Krillin chuckled at Goku's words, but soon silence at the wake of Vegeta's anger.

"Damn it Kakarot. That's it; no one can go in there without my permission."

He rubbed his temples and pushed himself up shakily. After regaining his balance, he brushed off his clothes.

"You better start praying that your stupidity won't be the end of us all."

Vegeta grumbled in a manner that seemed as though he was only mumbling to himself. He turned back to the dark room and calmly walked inside. The group watched him, yet soon pried their attention away. Goku held up his ragged shirt and whimpered.

"Look at this! Dang…it's ruined…"

Krillin laughed and pat Goku's back.

"Hey, you brought others, didn't ya?"

Goku pouted and laid his shirt tenderly upon the ground.

"Yeah, but I've only got so many…"

He whimpered again and looked towards the closet. Vegeta rummaged around the remains, grumbling and muttering ragged curses.

"I feel kinda bad now. You think we should help 'im?"

Goku spoke tenderly and glanced towards Krillin in question. The bald warrior just lifted his shoulders.

"I donno what we'd be lookin' for."

"Don't bother."

Their heads turned to the gruff voice in surprise, yet upon seeing Vegeta, they calmed. Vegeta glared towards Goku, yet soon diverted his anger towards the ground with a nasty little glare.

"Well, I hope you had fun. That little bout of entertainment cost us valuable supplies."

Krillin turned to face Vegeta completely.

"Like what?"

Vegeta glanced at him.

"Like food, extra clothes, tools, and God-only-knows what else."

As he spoke, he sat back down and leaned back against the palms of his hands. He let his head fall back, and he closed his eyes. Krillin watched him for a moment and looked to his own hands. He perked up upon realizing something, and he turned his focus back upon Vegeta.

"Hey, you don't look half bad. Hell, you look like you mighta just run a mile or something."

Vegeta blinked in quiet confusion until Krillin pointed at Vegeta's shirt.

"Your clothes. They aren't burnt."

Vegeta looked down at his shirt and wiped it off with his hands.

"Well, what else do you expect?"

Krillin chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"I donno."

Vegeta looked up and smirked.

"Well, it _is_ a copy of the uniform Frieza gave to his workers. It's flame retardant and durable. What, did you think that even though they have the technology to travel throughout the universe, they wouldn't make decent armor for their workers?"

Krillin rubbed his head.

"I donno, I guess it makes sense. I oughta get me one of those…"

Vegeta scoffed quietly and gently rolled his eyes. He shot a glare at Goku.

"Kakarot, you ninny. Just stay out of there."

He snapped his head towards the two young boys, who were now snickering about something. They tensed at his action and watched Vegeta slowly lift a finger towards them.

"That goes for you two as well. Stay out of there unless I grant you permission. Got it?"

His harsh voice caused the two boys to recoil slightly in fear, and at this action, Vegeta pushed himself up. He grumbled to himself and turned back to the control room.

……

Several hours more passed, and the group's boredom reached yet another peak. Goku and Krillin were passed out on the floor, breathing heavily and making strange noises occasionally. Piccolo was still meditating, not having noticed the commotion from earlier, and he seemed like a queer statue of wisdom that floated magnificently in the corner.

Trunks moaned as he watched the repetitive dots of light glide past the window and glanced towards his friend.

"I'm bored."

Goten straightened up and whimpered.

"I'm hungry."

Trunks straightened up too.

"You know, me too. Let's go see what there is to eat."

Goten cheered and jumped to his feet as Trunks stood. They walked to the closet and peered inside the now partially charred room. Within a second, the two disappeared inside and began rummaging through bags in search of something to eat. Goten pulled out one of the many cans and looked over the label as a grin spread across his face.

"Lookie, Trunks! Chicken Noodle, my favorite!"

……

Must I go on?

**AN**_ – Ok, XDD can you tell that I was in a weird mood over Thanksgiving? Well, this is it. A stupid, pointless little chapter whose stupidity knows no bounds. XP man, I need a job_


	11. When We Find Them

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**When We Find Them**_

**AN** – _Well…o.o;; how long has it been? A month? God, who knows. Well, sorry about it being so delayed. but hey, it was Christmas. XP But luckily, I finally sat down and 'drew up' a vague idea for the next few chapters. The next chap (which'll go back to Gohan and the girls) should be a little more interesting, but don't get your hopes up. Luckily, the next chapter is nearly done, so expect it to come out, on time, this weekend. –cackle– Here's the next chapter after more then 5 weeks of waiting. _

Three days, eight hours, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds…

…24…25…

Krillin sighed as he pulled himself up into a sitting position on the floor of the ship. He yawned and stretched his arms in front of him. Trunks and Goten were sitting near the windows, watching as stars glided by, and Goku was passed out in one of the chairs they used for take-off. Krillin sighed, scratching the back of his head while looking at the watch on his other hand.

Three days, eight hours, 13 minutes, and 9 seconds…

…10…11…

He pushed his stiff body up to stand, stumbling a few steps before finally regaining balance. He walked towards the control room where Vegeta was currently located. The boys didn't even look away from the streaks of light to acknowledge him, too bored to care, and Goku showed no sign of noticing his departure.

Krillin stopped by the entrance that had been jammed half-closed due to the backlash of Saiyan boredom. Goku had found amusement in how the door opened and closed, inescapably breaking it, and Vegeta had to force it open, inevitably breaking it beyond repair. He leaned in to see what Vegeta was doing and was glad to see that Vegeta was still conscious enough to provide a bit of social interaction, however small. Krillin blinked curiously upon seeing that Vegeta was eating a bag of chips and watching something on the screen with his boots using the control panel as a footrest. He suppressed a chuckle and walked in with his usual confidence.

"Hey, Vegeta."

Vegeta turned his head and stared at Krillin in surprise. He removed his feet from the panel, thinking it too casual of a position to be seen enjoying, and set the chips down. He took off a pair of headphones, which had been nearly invisible against his black hair.

"What do you want?"

Krillin chuckled lightly, sat down in a chair next to Vegeta, and propped up his feet just as Vegeta had been earlier.

"Nothin'. I'm just bored. What are ya watchin'?"

Krillin didn't see the glare the Prince was giving him, but he could feel it burning the side of his face. Instead, he watched the strange figures on the fuzzy screen, almost fascinated that it was most probably a universal channel. Vegeta withdrew at the question and paused, taking a moment to analyze the situation. He sighed quietly, accepting defeat, and turned back to the screen.

"It's just some show that was on. It's a dramoi, or what you'd call a soap opera."

Krillin chuckled at the thought of the Prince of all Saiyans watching a soap opera, but he shrugged it aside, knowing that an idle mind found amusement in the strangest things. He pointed to the pair of headphones that now lay on the console.

"Can I hear?"

Vegeta glanced towards Krillin and smoothly grabbed the headset. He pulled until it was free of the connection, and the soft sound of voices filled the room. Although he couldn't understand the language, Krillin could tell that the female character was going to break up with the male. He smiled, remembering something that Bulma had once told him. 'Soap language is universal'.

So, Krillin and Vegeta sat watching a soap opera, munching on the chips Vegeta had been eating and enjoying the strange world of drama. They watched as Tenela, the lead female character, fell in and out of love, and chuckled sarcastic remarks when she found her newest lover in bed with another. When a commercial interrupted the show, Krillin turned his head to watch as Vegeta turned the volume down.

"Heh, I guess space ain't so different then."

Vegeta nodded curtly.

"It is, but not as much as you humans fantasize it to be."

Krillin tilted his head slightly, watching Vegeta closely.

"How so?"

Vegeta shrugged lightly, and answered in a bored tone.

"They have weird holidays, customs, and foods, just like Earth. But it's not so strange if you think about it. Every aspect of their lives comes from culture, which comes from ancestry and the type of resources those ancestors survived on. It's just like Earth."

Krillin chuckled and shook his head.

"Yeah, I guess you got a point."

He fell quiet and started watching as a colorful character appeared on the screen. He wore a huge smile that was to big to be anything but creepy, and he held a jar of something in his hands. He talked obnoxiously fast and continuously flashed what might have been a charming grin had his teeth been any smaller. Krillin watched, greatly humored by the strange man on the screen, and turned his head to look at Vegeta.

"Hey, can you understand what they're saying?"

Vegeta turned his head at Krillin's question, and after a moment of thought, he gave him a slight nod and returned his attention to the commercial.

"I used to know a few words. Enough to say what I needed to, but not enough to carry much of a conversation. You'd be amazed what you can say without words."

He spoke the last sentence with a soft chuckle, and Krillin knew exactly what he was insinuating. It was so strange to sit comfortably next to a man that had, at one time, been a terror to the entire universe. He could only guess that being a friend to someone like Goku had that sort of effect. The show soon came back on to reveal another couple in distress.

The woman looked more humanoid then any of the other characters, and had gorgeous, long, blonde hair with blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with an immensely powerful and long-hidden passion. Krillin watched as the camera zoomed in on her beautiful face as tears welled within her eyes, causing those sparkles to intensify, if such were even possible.

A shadow passed over Krillin's eyes. Her sensuous voice had the natural ability to capture one's soul with its strength, but now it was weak and exposed, as though from years of torturous mental anguish. A lump made itself known in the middle of Krillin's throat as he watched the woman on the screen close her eyes slowly, of which allowed a single tear freedom from the depths of her soul. Vegeta glanced towards Krillin, waiting for some sort of humorous remark on her overly dramatic actions. Instead, he was met with a rather disturbing sight. Krillin sat in his chair with every muscle tense and stiff, and his eyes held a dark, depressed aura of longing memory.

Of course, the only reason why Vegeta could see any of that was due to long years of living among those who constantly held the tight, strong mask that now rested weakly in the eyes of the small monk to his side. Any other observer would have seen a transfixed look, one that was possibly so entranced in the emotion of the moment that nothing could detach them. Krillin seemed to be enjoying the show, but Vegeta could easily see that such was not so. His eyes narrowed slightly, definitely not used to the darkness that dampened the light-hearted aura that Krillin always carried, and spoke with a firm, yet tender, tone.

"Are you that moved by her tears?"

Krillin jolted slightly and turned his eyes shakily towards Vegeta's stone-cold face. He blinked, attempting to regain his senses, but he soon recovered and attempted a smile.

"Nah, she's being overly dramatic. I just, spaced out, is all."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The bald man shied away and focused back onto the screen, trying to divert Vegeta's attention. However, Vegeta narrowed his eyes further and burned his powerful gaze into the side of Krillin's face.

"Oh?"

Vegeta removed his intimidating glare and pretended to watch the screen. His thoughts, however, did not ponder over the events taking place on the show. Krillin relaxed visibly when Vegeta diverted his gaze, and he tried to be rid of the thoughts that had darkened his mood earlier. It was beginning to work when suddenly Vegeta's voice filled the room once more with a soft elegance.

"You were thinking about her, weren't you?"

Krillin withdrew, his eyes instantly snapping towards Vegeta. The Saiyan, however, didn't even look away from the fuzzy screen, and simply awaited the response with a demanding, albeit patient, silence.

"…yeah…"

Vegeta diverted his gaze, landing his eyes directly upon Krillin's. The monk watched him carefully, realizing, suddenly, that he had never truly looked Vegeta straight in the eyes before. They seemed to go on forever, infinitely deep and mysterious to such an extent that he found himself lost in a dark abyss. Neither looked away, Vegeta being too persistent and Krillin too dumbfounded to do differently.

"You really miss her, don't you?"

Vegeta's query broke the strange spell that had befallen the small warrior's mind, and he turned his head, focusing upon the ground suddenly as though it were deathly important. Only then, did Vegeta's tense gaze lift its stare and look back to the screen. Krillin fiddled with his fingers nervously, a little more confused then anything else.

"I guess…but I'm more worried then anything. I mean, we don't know where she is or what she's going through. You never know what could have happened these past few weeks."

A soft smiled found its way onto Vegeta's face, and he watched Krillin silently, waiting for him to continue.

"I donno. I've never really felt so lonely before. It's weird, nothing like I expected. I can't describe it…"

"I'm sure there's a way."

Krillin looked up at Vegeta curiously.

"…I guess I feel like a part of me is gone. Like…say you have a car. It's only complete with wheels, an engine, and a driver. Before I met her, I was like a car without a driver. I could go wherever I wanted to if I tried hard enough, but I didn't have the mutual accomplishment of getting there. Then she came along, and I had found my driver. I was a happy little car, and I could go anywhere without the slightest effort. Then, when she left, it was like she took my wheels with her. So now, I'm just a grumbly old engine, sitting here with nothing left to live for. And I feel like I can't just go back to the way I was before I met her. I know it's not like she left me or anything, but it sure feels like it…"

Krillin paused.

"Sounds dumb, don't it?"

He looked up again to see a smile resting on Vegeta's strangely empathetic face. Krillin watched Vegeta for a moment feeling confused once again as to what was happening. Since when did Vegeta learn how to smile, and why was he suddenly so willing to hear the lonely words of some weak, useless human? A sparkle flickered across Vegeta's eyes, but what it was exactly, Krillin couldn't tell. Its life had been too short, for Vegeta quickly closed his eyes, almost like a knowing, old father would towards his troubled son.

"Not at all. It's in your nature to feel like that now that your mate is gone. I know that my words mean nothing to you, but you shouldn't be so worried. I know where she's going. Not the exact location, but I do know the basic hands in which she'll be given. She'll be all right until we can get to her."

"How do you know?"

A soft chuckle bubbled out of the depths of Vegeta's chest, and he shook his head as he turned it back to the screen.

"Only one person would want someone like 18 and have the power to actually get her. And…well, let's just say that she'll have plenty of allies until we can finally reach her."

"What do you mean?"

Krillin eyed Vegeta, almost suspiciously, and Vegeta finally grinned a more characteristic grin of sarcasm.

"A couple of my old cronies. The girls are in good hands for the time being."

Krillin blinked, paranoid with the thought that a few of Vegeta's old friends might be in the same breathing space as his wife.

"…what makes you think that…people you used to know would…uh…behave?"

Vegeta laughed, heartily almost, and shook his head.

"There are only two people I know that would even realize someone new was on the ship, and those two wouldn't hurt a fly. Trust me, Krillin. Your wife is in good hands, and will be until we can get her and go back home."

Krillin smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Vegeta."

Vegeta closed his eyes just as a red light from the dashboard flicked on. Its red glow tinged their faces with the softest red and drew both eyes towards it. Vegeta glared coldly and watched as the light slowly blinked. He reached out mumbling to himself and tapped the light. Krillin watched him and the light for a few moments until Vegeta started typing. Or clicking, or…something. He really couldn't be sure as to what Vegeta was doing.

"Uh…what's wrong?"

Vegeta snarled to himself as his eyes danced over the various boxes of information that popped up at his command.

"Piece of shit's almost out of fuel."

He growled and spun his chair around to fiddle with a panel behind him.

"Damn Earth woman…only 3 G-k…damn thing…_corsos_…"

Vegeta continued muttering various words of nonsense as Krillin watched him curiously.

"Uh, so, we're low on fuel?"

Vegeta grumbled.

"Not with as much fuel as we could have carried. We should have been able to go for at least a month, but does she have the technology or brains to create a decent fuel for intergalactic travel? Oh no!"

Vegeta continued his mutterings and spun around to face the main display screen. He set to work again, bringing up strange pictures of planets and columns of numbers and statistics. He growled with agitation as Krillin sat blinking.

"What are you doing?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, still focusing on the screen, but answered his question, regardless of his annoyance.

"I'm trying to locate a suitable station for refuel."

Krillin blinked.

"You mean, like a gas station?"

He shot a calm glare towards Krillin, yet quickly flicked his gaze back to the screen.

"I suppose you could call it that, but it's…Oh, thank God! There's a station only about an hour away."

Vegeta instantly danced his fingers across the controls, resetting the course for the said station. Krillin blinked slowly, but allowed an amused grin to slide upon his face.

"So, are we gonna see some aliens or something?"

Vegeta paused and slowly turned his head towards the bald headed man, almost as though he were completely blown away by what he just said. He blinked and timidly nodded his head.

"…of…course we will."

Krillin chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Heh, sorry. I'm still trippin' about the whole alien thing."

Vegeta regained his usual composure and smirked.

"Of course, I can only imagine what it's like to be so ignorant."

Krillin chuckled again and stood. He lifted a hand and put the other at his waist.

"Well, it was cool talkin' to ya. I'll go tell everyone 'bout the whole detour thing."

He turned and left, leaving Vegeta to work on the ship alone.

……

The hour soon passed, and Vegeta appeared before the group.

"Sit down, shut up."

With that eloquently spoken, everyone sat down and turned their attention to Vegeta. The boys twitched constantly, their excitement being too great to contain, and Goku and Krillin giggled for…some reason. Piccolo was still in the same spot, however when Vegeta snapped out the harsh demand, he had calmly diverted his attention, eager to hear what he had to say. Vegeta folded his arms before him in that unique fashion of arrogance he naturally held, and finally spoke as though he dreaded every word.

"All right. I can see that the midget has already informed all of you as to our situation. Now, I'll let you come along under a few conditions."

He held up his hand, facing the palm towards himself and holding up his thumb.

"First, listen to every word I say, and obey it as though you were nothing but dogs and I your master. Second."

He held up his first finger.

"Don't touch me, other people, plants, animals, inanimate objects, liquids, spare items, circuitry, any form of technology, and anything else that may be within your grasp."

He sent a glare towards Goku, as though it was his fault that the rule had been created. Vegeta held up another finger, still counting off the rules.

"Call me Prince Vegeta or Sir. Never address me as you would a commoner. Don't make eye contact with anyone and act as though they don't even exist. Don't make any sort of wild hand gesture or action. It may offend someone and knowing our luck, they'll start a big to-do over it. And, just in case none of you have realized, we do –not– want a lot of attention. Of course, it's inevitable, but we should at least try to keep a low-profile."

At each new point he lifted another finger, and after finishing, he turned his attention to Goku.

"You."

His voice was low and deadly as he spoke his demands.

"As much as you might disagree, these people are complete idiots, much like yourself. Now, for us to continue on our little journey, you'll have to back off and let me do what I do best."

Goku's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched Vegeta speak.

"You…aren't going to kill people, are you?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"If I must."

Goku yelped and jumped to his feet.

"No! I'm not gonna let you kill innocent people! I don't care _where_ we are."

Vegeta deadpanned the bulky warrior before him and calmly rolled his eyes.

"Look, if it eases your conscience any, very few ignore my threats. If you simply let me deal with the vagabonds in the manner I choose, then we'll get in and out of there quickly and without the slightest bit of bloodshed."

Goku held a furious glare simply at the thought that Vegeta might kill someone. However, at Vegeta's reassuring words, he lowered his eyes to the ground and allowed his temporary anger to fade.

A soft jolt and the sound of a loud clank caused every head to turn towards the back of the ship. They stayed in silence, confused for a moment as to what had caused the sudden shift. However, Vegeta straightened up and headed calmly towards the door. He glanced over his shoulder at the bewildered faces and lifted a hand in gesture for them to follow.

The small group obediently stood and gathered behind the Saiyan when he suddenly turned to face Goku.

"Well? I need your word."

Goku's expression darkened slightly, still unsure whether he should trust Vegeta on his own turf, yet he nodded softly.

"As long as you don't kill anyone."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes the slightest measure, yet he quickly turned to show that he accepted Goku's promise. He placed a gloved hand upon the handle of the door and turned it until a soft click sounded, notifying him that he had unlocked it. He let go of the handle as the door's mechanics set in and moved it away. With his old grace, he stepped forward onto the platform that had suddenly appeared, and the small group cautiously followed. He walked a short distance inside the small, yet well-illuminated tunnel, and paused by a glass door for the slightest moment as it opened to allow him passage.

He stepped through and soon stood within a massive corridor of metal and glass, allowing the others to walk through the door before stopping. He turned his head and watched as Krillin finally caught up with the rest of them. Goku and his son gazed wide-eyed with their jaws hanging agape, and they turned their heads as they surveyed the surreal tunnel. Trunks and Krillin had a look of pure curiosity, yet they kept their lower jaws from falling open to maintain their 'image'. Piccolo simply glanced about the area, curious yet stoic in his scans, and Vegeta stood, gazing around boredly, yet with the slightest glimpse of what might have been fond memory (you never know with Vegeta).

"Excuse me, Sirs."

The entire group turned their attention towards the new voice. There stood a small boy, shorter then Krillin and seeming younger then Goten. He had pale skin with a touch of lavender and locks of rich black hair fell around his face. His eyes were the darkest color, near black with the slightest touch of blue if he turned a certain way in a certain light. He was wearing a white outfit that seemed to be some sort of uniform, and he stood with a clipboard in hand.

Vegeta's eyes instantly recognized the small, simple symbol on the uniform, and he turned to face the young boy. The child's eyes instantly snapped up to Vegeta and widened with innocent fascination. He stood, mouth agape, and stared at the face of the legendary man of blood and death. He had never seen him, but he had heard story after story of the devilish Saiyan race and their ruthless ruler, Prince Vegeta. He could easily remember the description of the Prince of the barbaric monkey race, and he remembered the harsh warnings the storyteller always emphasized.

The child stood, consumed in his fear, shock, and pure fascination as Vegeta folded his arms over his chest. He snorted with the slightest hint of disgust and sent a cold glare towards the ship.

"A child? Whatever. I want the ship refueled. No mechanical checks, nothing. I'm in a hurry, Kid, and you'd best go inform your superiors as to who demands service."

The boy slowly inhaled a deep breath, but cut it off quickly and nodded. He whipped around and bolted down the hallway, weaving around the few others that were present until he disappeared from sight.

Goku glared at the back of Vegeta's head.

"That was mean."

Vegeta shot a glare over his shoulder towards the orange-clad warrior behind him.

"What did I just finish saying?"

Goku's glare increased, but he didn't speak another word. Vegeta started walking down the massive hall and the group obediently followed. Soon they came to a large set of glass doors that slid open to allow them passage. A soft roar met them as the group walked into the massive area.

It resembled the place of which Gohan and the girls had been captured (the second time) with lights flashing constantly to attract travelers and their money. People of hundreds of descriptions swarmed about the organized stores, and items of every type and color were brightly advertised in hopes of catching a traveler's eye. The boys gasped in childish delight at the once-fictional reality that rested before their eyes. Krillin stared in pure awe at the sight and chuckled.

"Woudja look at that. Wow, the nerds of Earth would kill to be us right now."

He and Goku chuckled for a moment before they saw that their friends were moving on without them. They skipped forward and soon fell in behind the others.

Vegeta led them to a sort of fancified booth that seemed more formal and bland compared to the others. Vegeta leaned onto the counter and the others behind him took the chance to gaze around the mall-like area. Krillin put his hands on his hips.

"Man, the place reminds me of that old mall near my house. But…it's not. How cool."

He chuckled and glanced towards Goku, who seemed transfixed in something.

"Do…you smell that?"

Goku was leaning forward with his eyes closed.

"Gosh, it smells so good."

Krillin laughed and shook his head.

"Is that all that's ever on your mind? Food?"

Goku barely nodded, too lost within the luscious scent that wafted from a near by restaurant.

Vegeta suddenly grumbled and hit a small device that beeped in response to his harsh treatment. All eyes fell on him at the sudden noise, and a young woman (seemingly humanoid had her eyes not been a painfully bright yellow) suddenly hurried out a door and ran up to the counter.

"I'm very sorry, Sir. Please for…"

Her voice completely failed her as she opened his eyes to gaze upon the face of the notorious Saiyan Prince. Her eyes widened and it was more then obvious that she was about to scream. Vegeta suddenly lunged forward, lashing out his hand to grasp the woman's collar. She could only squeak the smallest sound before he pulled her directly in front of his face.

Her eyes widened even more as her nose set not even an inch away from his. She bit her lip as his eyes of onyx flickered with unpredictable hostility and anger. Goku tensed and clenched his fists, glaring daggers of warning at the back of Vegeta's head. Vegeta's face was calm, however, and only his eyes burned with warning. She stared silently into the empty gaze, waiting for something to happen.

"No sound, Wench."

She gulped and meekly nodded her head.

"Y…yessir."

He unleashed his hold, keeping everything else still, and she instantly pulled back once her freedom returned. She quickly fixed the ruffled collar and attempted to act exactly as she had been trained to in a situation such as this.

"How may I help you, Sir?"

Vegeta finally leaned back and calmly folded his arms over his powerful chest. He scanned the panels of letters and numbers that lay above her head and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Hmm…well, I need a reconsolif panel, calibrated to 35th miso, and a box of your most sophisticated supplies."

She typed the 'order' into a keypad and smiled warmly.

"Is that all, Sir?"

His eyes narrowed in thought as he looked over the panels once more, and he sighed softly and nodded.

"Yes, that should be."

She nodded and flashed another smile.

"All right. It'll be about a 20 minute wait, but I assure you, Sir, that your requested items will be of utmost satisfaction."

Vegeta grunted and turned, barely mumbling a response. He paused and glanced around the group until his eyes fell upon Goku who had returned to smelling the air daintily.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Goku could barely pry his eyes open to gaze towards Vegeta.

"Do you smell that? Oh, can we please eat? I'm so hungry…and all we've got back on the ship is a bunch of old cans. It smells so good…"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Alright, let's try to find some place to eat while we wait."

Goku cheered and instantly bolted towards the origin of the scent, causing Krillin and the two boys to erupt in laughter. Goten and Trunks instantly dashed after the childish warrior, weaving in and out of the many people that blocked their path. Krillin's chuckles softly faded as he and Piccolo followed after the boisterous trio, not wanting to loose sight of the easily excitable three.

The group finally stood before a small fast food stall that had luscious smells wafting from deep within. Goku's eyes were wide with fascination when he turned his head to look back at Vegeta.

"Aw, can we get something? Oh pleaseopleaseopleaseopleaseo–"

"Shut up! I already said we were getting something."

Vegeta snarled as he walked past everyone in line and waltzed straight up to the cashier. The young teenager at the register looked up to Vegeta boredly and waited for him to order whatever it was he wanted. Vegeta glanced over the panels of menus above and sighed discontentedly. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.

"Just get us…oh, I don't know. Six of everything."

The teen stared at him and rolled her eyes. She chewed and popped something while she slowly typed the order into the cash register. She paused for a moment and looked back.

"Hey, Bato, get your ass up here."

A gruff man sauntered out from the back and looked at her disapprovingly.

"Wha–? What is it?"

"How do you type in the Solonir deal 6 times?"

The guy paused and looked up to where the customer always stood, wondering what kind of person would order something 6 times. He instantly recognized Vegeta and gasped, nearly swallowing the old cigar that sat between his fat lips. He gave a startled yelp and ran to the register, quickly pushing aside the young teen.

"Heh…well, it's a pleasure Sir. I'm sorry about the gal-y, she's uh, still new, if you know what I mean."

Vegeta glared at him but said nothing.

"So, ah, what's your order?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed the slightest measure.

"Six of everything, and make it quick."

The man nodded and quickly typed in the rest of the order.

"It'll be a while, sorry, but that's quite an order."

"Really?"

The guy laughed and slapped the counter with a heavy hand.

"Oh man, that was a good one! Wooh! Better remember that!"

Vegeta gave him a disgusted look and the man finally stopped laughing. He sniffed deeply and wiped his hand under his nose, then turned and walked into the back room. Vegeta rolled his eyes and mumbled something. He turned and pointed towards a small area of tables and chairs.

"Go on, sit already."

Goku looked towards Vegeta.

"Will that be enough for all of us? I mean…six of everything isn't much…and I'm really, _really _hungry…"

"Oh, quit whining. It should be plenty. And if not, we can get more."

Goku glared indignantly at Vegeta, but shrugged and headed for a table. The group followed and everyone sat down, eager to get another chance to gaze around the alien world. Goten and Trunks couldn't help but allow their eyes freedom to wander, scanning the entire area in fascination. It was so massive in size, so full of queer creations, and yet so normal to those who walked among its corridors of glass and steel. Lights flashed with brilliant need and voices spoke smooth languages that they would most likely never hear again.

Krillin couldn't help but notice the wide variety of culture that rested harmoniously within the station. Everyone was so different from one another, from language, to appearance, and even to the taste in clothing. That had to have been the most drastically varying item. Some wore clothes that were extremely conservative, while others bore not even the slightest strap of cloth (but whether they were 'naked' in human terms was most definitely debatable). Some were draped in jewels and excessive colors, while others were plain, yet wealthy in their own way.

Goku gazed about the area, and his eyes caught a strange sight in the distance. Far away, within the depths of the crowds, a small group had collected. From what Goku could see, they were standing and preaching to those walking by, but what had really caught his sharp eye was how each member bore an orange outfit that covered their chests and legs, yet left their arms exposed. He studied them curiously and saw that each bore a white circle upon their back with a black symbol of sorts, each different from the next. He couldn't help but note the similarity between their clothing and his most favored fighting attire.

He opened his mouth to ask Vegeta something, still watching the group carefully, when the gruff man from earlier shouted out to them and tore his attention away.

The restaurant's owner reappeared with an armful of Styrofoam plates stacked on top of one another. The young worker followed him, also carrying several large bags of white dishes packed with food. The gruff man smiled cordially, setting the plates down, and the young girl dropped the bags by the table.

"I hope you fine people enjoy your meal, and please forgive us for the wait."

The man dipped his head deeply and backed up before turning and leaving. Goku cheered and instantly dove for the food, disregarding the fact that he had no idea what he might be eating. Trunks and Goten wailed and dove in as well, fearing that the Goku would consume everything before they could eat. Krillin stared at the scene before him in shock and he glanced at Piccolo.

"Dang…I'll probably have to go get something for myself."

Piccolo just gave him a quiet glance and closed his eyes thoughtfully. The mad feast calmed and the four that had been eating were now calmly chewing on their food. Goku chewed on a hunk of meat thoughtfully, and swallowed. He poked the food carefully.

"Hey, Vegeta. What is this stuff?"

Vegeta looked up from his dish and leaned over to see what rested in Goku's plate. He swallowed a mouthful of food and pointed.

"Karesent with lromenal sauce. Good pick."

Goku blinked and poked his food again.

"What's it made out of?"

Vegeta had continued eating and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing too strange. You wouldn't know what I was talking about, even if I did tell you."

Goku's eyes narrowed sadly, yet soon lightened as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, whatever it is, it's delicious. You'll have to give Chi-chi the recipe."

Goku started shoveling food into his mouth again, and Vegeta rolled his eyes after a moment and continued eating. Goten dropped his plate and laughed happily.

"Wow, that was so good, and I'm so full I could pop!"

Trunks shoved one last piece of food into his mouth and gulped.

"So, if I poke you really hard…"

Trunks reached over and shoved a finger into Goten's side, causing a wail to fly from the boy's mouth.

"Ow! Trunks! Don't do that!"

Trunks just grinned coolly and shrugged his shoulders.

"I was just seeing if you'd pop."

Goten glared at his supposed friend when Goku suddenly spoke up.

"Aw, quit fighting you two. How could you fight after a meal like that anyway? And we still have leftovers…dang…"

Vegeta snorted and closed his eyes while chewing.

"Of course there's extra. The servings are much larger here. Plus, we got six of everything on the menu, did we not?"

Goku blinked and looked inside one of the bags.

"Huh…guess so."

Krillin blinked.

"You mean there's still food left after all that? You gotta be kidding me…"

He reached into one of the many bags and pulled out a plate. He opened it and started eating, seeing it safe enough to do so now that the Saiyans had finished. Vegeta wolfed down the last bit of food and threw the disposable dish at the table. Without another word, he stood and walked away, leaving the group to themselves. Krillin blinked and looked to Goku, who was watching Vegeta leave.

"Huh…so, uh…when do you think we'll find um?"

Goku blinked and looked back at Krillin curiously.

"What?"

"You know, the girls. I mean, and we don't have a clue where they are."

Goku's eyes darkened and he lowered his gaze to the table.

"Yeah, I know. But I still can't sense any of them…"

Krillin lowered his own gaze to the table in thought.

"I don't wanna be the first guy to say this, but do you think that maybe…I donno, that there might be some foul-play in all this?"

Goku looked up, surprised for a moment. He watched Krillin with a calculating eye and sighed softly, finding no way around what he had asked.

"I think he's changed too much for that."

Krillin rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, but that guy can lie about anything and we'd believe it. He's real sharp about that sorta stuff. And, you said yourself that he was hiding his ki when you found him."

Goku's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he did anything."

Krillin deadpanned Goku and coughed softly.

"Uh, Goku. This is Vegeta we're talking about. You never know what to expect from him. Just look at happened with Buu."

Goku looked up and blinked.

"Why are you bringing all this up now?"

Krillin coughed and diverted his gaze to a pillar in the distance.

"Well, see, he totally pulled a 'nice guy' move on me earlier today. I mean, I've never seen him act like that, and I think he was trying to…you know, win my trust. I'm just…I donno, a little suspicious, is all. He could just be playing us like pawns in some master plan…"

Goku suddenly flashed a smile and laughed lightly.

"Aw, Krillin. You've always been the paranoid one. Look, I'll take care of everything, and if it hits the fan, then I'll be right there fixing whatever went wrong."

Krillin smiled and looked up.

"Like always?"

Goku nodded with a large, gentle smile sitting upon his face.

"Like always."

Krillin couldn't help but strengthen his smile at Goku's reassuring words. Vegeta then walked up behind Goku and grunted softly to call attention to himself. When everyone turned around, he turned on his heels and walked away again. Trunks instantly jumped to his feet, which caused Goten to readily follow. The last three stood and followed after Vegeta as he led them back into the tunnel and straight to their ship. A…creature of sorts stood by the ramp that led into the small tunnel connecting their ship to the long port. It focused on Vegeta and nodded reverently.

"The ship has been refueled and will be good for another month of travel. I hope your travels are safe, and please come again."

With that, the creature backed away, never once turning its back to Vegeta, and watched as they all walked into the tunnel. A door shut behind them and a loud clank vibrated through the harsh metal walls. Vegeta walked up to the door of their ship and opened the door smoothly. He walked inside and the others followed. He paused until Piccolo finally walked inside and closed the door, locking it down securely. He turned to face the others.

"All right, we're off again. It may be another few days until I'll know for sure when we'll catch up with them. Don't kill yourselves and leave me alone."

With that, he turned and walked through the doorway into the control room, leaving the small group to their thoughts and inevitable doom at boredom's hands.

……

Hours passed in a soft blur, and the group found themselves in a familiar position. Piccolo loomed thoughtfully in a corner, meditating calmly. The two boys sat in front of the windows and watched the stars whiz by, and Goku and Krillin were lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling in silence. Krillin had been thinking about quite a few things, and he suddenly felt the urge to ask Goku a question that had been burning at his consciousness for some time.

"Hey, Goku."

"Hmm?"

"You miss Chi-Chi?"

Goku sighed lazily and unconsciously shrugged his shoulders.

"I donno."

Krillin blinked and pushed himself onto his elbows.

"What?"

Goku sighed and closed his eyes, realizing and regretting the mistake he had just made.

"Well, like, I miss her and all, but…I guess it's kinda nice not being around her all the time."

Krillin blinked, confused with what he was hearing.

"But that's how all marriages are. You're supposed to hate 'um. But, aren't you worried or anything? I mean, last time Vegeta told us anything, she's supposedly heading off to Frieza's."

Goku shrugged again.

"I donno. I just…never really felt like she cared about me."

Krillin sat up fully now and crossed his legs before him.

"What are you talking about?"

Goku sighed and sat up as well.

"It's just that she's always yelling at me, and she always cares more about Gohan and Goten then she does me. Which is fine, but she's always…ignoring what I want. I mean, look at Gohan. I practically had to kidnap him just to get him to learn anything about fighting. She never once considered what I wanted."

Krillin diverted his gaze to the floor as Goku continued.

"I know she doesn't mean to, but even when I say something, she just ignores me and goes on her way. I just don't know anymore…"

He looked up at Krillin, and the bald monk turned his attention to Goku and smiled.

"Well, that always happens in marriages. You just gotta sit her down sometime and tell her what just you told me. She probably sees how friendly and nice you are and took advantage. Women are like that Goku. You just gotta let her know that you're tired of feeling like a 5th wheel. She was the one that jumped into the marriage in the first place, so I'm sure she cares enough about you to listen."

Goku looked down to the ground thoughtfully and sighed.

"You think so?"

Krillin smiled and nodded confidently.

"Totally. I mean, I _am_ a ladies man, am I not?"

Goku smiled gratefully and chuckled, and Krillin continued.

"But no, seriously Goku. Bulma's told me a lot about Chi-chi, and I can tell she's someone you need to have a firm stand with."

Goku blinked.

"Bulma tells you about Chi-chi?"

He shrugged.

"A little, usually whenever she just got off the phone with her."

Goku gasped playfully.

"We have a phone?"

Krillin and Goku chuckled softly for a moment before Krillin spoke up once more.

"But yeah, Bulma's told me some things, and I can tell she's one of those kinds of women. Don't let her push you around. I think she's taking you for granted."

Goku sighed and just lightly shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess. If we find them, I'll tell her."

Krillin's eyes darkened the slightest measure, but he chuckled lightly and nodded, trying to mask the sadness in his eyes and resume the role of the cheery friend.

"Yeah…"

Goku smiled his infamous Son smile.

"I mean, _when_ we find them."

Krillin looked up and flashed a false smile. It was a smile that he had mastered many years before, mainly because he was the kind of guy who could have his whole world fall down around him, yet still laugh and joke whenever he was around his friends to make sure they stayed in joyful spirits. That was something he hated more then anything. Seeing his friends distressed about something, especially if he was the cause. Krillin nodded softly, as though trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

"Yeah, when."


	12. The Legend

**. A Story with No Name. **

_**The Legend**_

**AN** – _Ok, this chapter underwent major revision. Or, the end, at least. Crap-title, but meh, I did this at 2 in the morning, so gimmie a break. A major apology to my past readers (if they end up reading this before the update is complete), things changed a bit. But the reason I disappeared for so long was because I…I guess I didn't feel right with where the story was suddenly going. It felt rushed. Anyway, enjoy _

The night had passed smoothly, and the three girls had been able to sleep in pleasant, albeit awkward, comfort. Gohan had healed perfectly, just as Nappa said, but his mother had to calm him down when he found himself in yet another strange location.

In all, the ship consisted of ten people. The four from Earth, Nappa, Takirhare, a 'shiper' (who, they soon learned, owned the ship and kept it in order while 'renting' it out for others to use), and three warriors. The final three were all of mixed nationalities, and each had their own unique personality.

One was of a strange race that had supposedly been destroyed by Frieza, much like the Saiyans. His name was Rickaron, but all the Earth-born people simply called him Rick (which he didn't understand). Rick was quite different from the other two. He was composed at first, but once you smiled in his general direction, he instantly cast aside his quiet facade and exploded with loud, boisterous questions and jokes. He was friendly and had an amazing sense of humor (although occasionally it was just a little 'dirty'). He was open and simple, and was constantly searching for verbal interaction. He was, however, ignorantly shallow and more rustic then most women preferred (treating physical interaction the same whether you were male or female).

Another warrior was part Saiyan and claimed to not know the race of his father. His name was Sarmock, so the Earthlings simply called him Sam. He was a sort of bounty hunter who had heard rumors concerning Prince Vegeta and the Emper's return to power, so he somehow managed to get himself dragged into the kidnapping mission. He was friendly, yet very quiet and shy. He had a genuine personality, but he had a tendency to be aloof and cold.

The final warrior's true name was hidden, yet everyone onboard had taken a liking to calling him Korta. He was the product of two warring races that had long since passed their prime. However, that was about as much as they had been able to learn, seeing as how he was a darker character who kept to himself with a cold satisfaction. Bulma personally enjoyed his company, but she warned everyone that he was a lot like Vegeta, just without as much physical control.

Bulma spent most of her time asking questions about space, which Rick usually answered readily, in hopes that she would answer all of his. The two would get lost in a world of questions (since asking someone about a planet's music would naturally lead to the reasoning behind it). Chi-chi ended up speaking more with Tak, seeing as how she enjoyed the woman's natural etiquette and respect. 18 mainly stayed to herself, but strangely enough, by the end of three weeks, she and Korta had fully enjoyed a complete conversation (an extreme rarity and treat for both). Gohan found a deeper connection with Sam, the two sharing equal shyness and both preferring to watch others from afar. However, due to his nature, Gohan tended to keep to those he had already known.

One day, while the large group rested in the main room (besides the shiper, who was too busy keeping his ship in order), Bulma looked up from the ground and gazed boredly at Sarmock.

"Hey, Sam?"

He looked up curiously, and she flashed a healthy smile.

"Well, I've been wondering. How'd you escape Planet Vegeta's destruction?"

He smiled and chuckled, shifting his gaze to the ground.

"Well, I didn't."

She paused.

"What?"

He looked up for a moment, yet quickly returned his gaze to the floor.

"I just…didn't."

She straightened up and narrowed her eyes.

"…So, you were brought back to life?"

He nodded meekly, as though fearing her sudden attention.

"Yeah, so?"

She blinked.

"How old were you?"

He looked up again and stared blankly at her.

"…uh, I guess I was about 23 or so."

"And how old are you now?"

"…uh…25. Why?"

"Wow, so…you all have been alive for like, two years, huh?"

He blinked and slowly nodded.

"Uh, yeah. I coulda told you that."

She smiled.

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to see how old you were."

He stared at her blankly, and she laughed. Nappa suddenly stretched out and moaned.

"Damn, I'm bored. What'dya guys wanna do?"

He glanced around as the majority of the group shrugged their shoulders in response. It was quiet for a while when Gohan glanced over to Nappa.

"It's so strange being in the same breathing space as you."

Nappa glanced over curiously for a moment before a smile broke onto his face.

"I'm sure it is, but that ain't the first time someone I beat up ended up being my partner."

Gohan nodded softly.

"I can imagine. But I really didn't think of you like this."

Nappa laughed.

"A'course not, Kid. I was tryin' to kill you."

He snickered and Gohan laughed sheepishly.

"Yeah…but still. You were so evil. I really didn't expect for you to be so friendly."

He glanced up as Nappa's face softened.

"Yeah, well, business's business, you know?"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh. He called it business!

"Whatever you say."

Nappa grinned a queer smile that caused a knowing glint to slice across his eyes. Gohan caught the strange, reflective look Nappa gave him and turned his gaze elsewhere. It was quiet for yet another moment when Chi-chi suddenly perked up.

"You know, I've been wondering. If you were all brought back two years ago, wouldn't you know, by now at least, exactly how you came back?"

Rick straightened up.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But all I've heard are rumors."

All eyes turned to him, knowing well that these rumors came straight from the mouths of those working in Frieza's main base.

"Well, they say that Lord Frieza got his hands on those dragon balls again."

He paused and glanced towards the Earth group.

"Have you guys heard the story about Namek?"

They nodded absently, and Rick blinked.

"But…aren't you guys from Earth? I thought they didn't even know who Frieza was out there."

Bulma blinked.

"Well, most Earthlings don't, but me and Gohan were there."

Everyone snapped their heads towards her in surprise. Korta, who was leaning against a wall a ways off, suddenly straightened up, showing a sudden interest in the topic. Of course, he wasn't alone in his fascination, but it was unexpected from him. His dark eyes narrowed.

"You were there?"

She blinked and turned her head to him, staring blankly towards the normally antisocial man.

"Uh, yeah."

"And you've been alive all these years?"

She glanced around the other faces, feeling slightly unnerved by his sudden change of character.

"Of, course…"

His eyes widened to show nothing but awe-filled fascination, and he couldn't help but leaned forward away from the wall.

"…Why…?"

Bulma blinked at the soft voice that suddenly replaced his usually crude and rugged one. She glanced towards Nappa for a moment and saw that he too held a look of disbelief. She looked back to answer Korta's question with one of her own.

"What do you mean?"

He grunted softly but showed no sign of anger.

"Why were you there?"

"I…we were trying to get the dragon balls…"

"Whose we?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she answered.

"Me, Gohan, and my friend Krillin."

His eyes narrowed in thought.

"Is that all?"

She glanced towards Gohan, who seemed just as confused as she.

"Well, basically. We ran into Frieza and his guys, and I guess Goku heard about it. He came to save us since our ship had been destroyed."

Korta's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as the queer hope that had glimmered within his heart just moments before faded.

"…Oh…I see. So, you left before it was destroyed on the ship your friend brought?"

His voice slowly returned to its usual gruffness as the thought settled in. However, she shook her head and instantly gained a look of surprise.

"I don't really know the details, but after someone wished all the Nameks back to life, they transported everyone but Goku and Frieza to Earth. That's how we got back."

He blinked, confused suddenly.

"…wha-?"

His eyes suddenly snapped open and he sucked in a quick breath.

"Wait! Goku?"

She blinked

"Yeah, heard of him?"

"No, no, no. Is that his real name?"

She blinked.

"Uh, yeah."

She paused, remembering Vegeta's favorite little nickname for their beloved savior.

"Well, basically. On Earth, everyone calls him Goku, but according to Vegeta, his _real_ name is Kakarot."

Korta's eyes widened the slightest touch. Sarmock gasped in a manner that seemed both shocked and overjoyed. He jumped to his feet and dashed to stand before Gohan and Bulma.

"_The_ Kakarot? The single man who could destroy the universe with the flick of a wrist? The man who slaughtered Frieza, the Lord of the Universe, without a second thought? The man sent from the Gods themselves to destroy all the malicious beasts that roam the cosmos?"

Gohan pulled back in shock. He had always thought highly of his father, but it was to be expected. To hear someone else drown his father's existence with fawning adoration was…different.

"Uh…well, he defeated Frieza on Namek, if that's what you're talking about."

Sarmock laughed to himself and shook his head.

"Well, damn! It's a small universe, eh?"

Rick nodded faintly as he stared at Gohan.

"So, you're Kakarot's kid, huh?"

Gohan nodded meekly but said nothing. Rick laughed and shook his head, glancing to Bulma.

"Holy shit. I can't believe it. The Orange Angel himself, and his brat's been on our ship!"

Takirhare seemed just as flustered by the news.

"He's still alive…"

It was spoken as a statement, and meant as such, but she couldn't help to add a faint, questioning tone at the last word. Her eyes sparkled with a brilliant, warm hope at her words. Chi-chi coughed suddenly to bring attention to herself, and she turned to face Rick.

"What about these rumors?"

He looked up.

"Oh, right. Well, they say he got his hands on those balls and started going wish-happy or whatever. Supposedly he brought all his old workers back to life, and he wished for a buncha other shit. What exactly, no one knows. Or cares, really. As long as he doesn't come knocking on their door, they could care less if the guy destroys half the universe."

He paused to let the effect of his last statement settle in before he went on.

"Some say he found the Meron, which is a little fairy thing that's got unlimited power. Supposedly he captured the little bugger and carries her around with him so he can wish for whatever he wants, whenever he wants it."

Gohan blinked curiously.

"Well, which is it?"

Rick shrugged half-heartedly.

"To hell if I know. There's more, but most of what people are saying is just cow's lung, so I wouldn't fret about it."

Nappa scoffed to himself.

"I heard that he taught himself magic while he was in Hell with the Ala Zamerin."

He paused and glanced at the Earthlings.

"Uh, a really famous sorcerer who died a couple thousand years ago."

The Earthlings nodded thankfully, and Nappa continued.

"I also heard that it ain't even Frieza, and that the Big 4 are just using his image to scare the crap outta their competitors and get more money."

He chuckled.

"No one really knows, word is slow and Frieza's never been open."

Tak shook her head thoughtfully and smiled towards Chi-chi.

"You lucky little bitch. Man, to be the mate of the orange angel…"

Chi-chi laughed and waved her hand, finding knowing that Tak meant no offence with her use of the word 'bitch'.

"It's not that great. He's lazy, messy, and hardly ever listens to a word I say."

Tak laughed.

"Yeah, but he can kick around anyone who tries to hurt you. And if he's as good as people say I'd doubt he's anything close to a bad husband."

Chi-chi laughed.

"Well, he doesn't beat me, if that's what you mean."

Tak paused yet quickly brushed whatever bothered her aside.

"He must spoil you if you don't think he's a great husband."

Chi-chi smiled faintly and nodded behind a veil of humor.

"Whatever you say."

Tak's eyes glinted with a knowing look and she shook her head softly.

"Well, if you're his mate, then I'm guessing that he'll be looking for you."

Chi-chi's face fell.

"That's what I thought, but for some reason, he hasn't come yet."

Tak blinked.

"You have to give him time to get here, Girl."

Chi-chi rolled her eyes.

"He could come to me in a second with his little Instant Transmission, but he hasn't. I wonder if he's even realized that I'm gone…"

Gohan stiffened and smiled warmly at his mother.

"Mom, don't worry about it. He has to feel your chi to do that, and for some reason, none of us have any. I can't sense us at all."

Nappa blinked, suddenly remembering something.

"Oh, yeah. Ol' Turles gave yall that Sorenc…netootoot…"

Tak piped up cheerfully.

"Sorenkonet."

Nappa nodded and pointed at her.

"Yeah, that. It covers up the life force energy that scouters pick up on. Real handy. Frieza warned Turles about how Kakarot learned some new thing that takes him to people instantly by feeling that life force. He suggested that Turles give that new saron…kentoo…ta…"

Tak perked up again and cheerfully pronounced the name again.

"Sorenkonet."

Nappa pointed at her happily again.

"Yeah. Sarenkoonet. He told Turles to give it to the people they took, or something, so that Kakarot wouldn't be able to do that fancy move of his. That old fag told me he'd stop by the Black Market to buy that …sokrenonetootetoot

Tak piped in once more as cheerful as the first two times.

"Sorenkonet"

He threw a playful grin at her as he continued.

"Yeah…the drug thing. It lasts for 'bout a month in most cases, but it's still illegal, so no one knows for sure."

Chi-chi gasped and screeched angrily with her new information.

"What? That jackass gave me some illegal drug?"

Nappa withdrew with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Duh. He couldn't risk Kakarot coming after him."

Chi-chi fumed quietly, deciding it best not to shoot the messenger.

"Besides, the main reason why they haven't approved the drug is because people like Frieza don't want their enemies to have that advantage, and if Frieza wants something, he gets it."

Bulma nodded thoughtfully and focused upon the ground.

"Do you think they're coming after us, then?"

Nappa laughed heartily, shocking her enough to glance up.

"What's so funny?"

He contained his humor to soft chuckles and wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye.

"Damn you crack me up."

Bulma sent a cold glare, and he defensively lifted his hands in front of him.

"Ok, ok. Look, you're his mate, aintcha?"

Bulma blinked.

"Vegeta's, yeah."

He nodded and pointed at her.

"There ya go. If he got a new gall after all the shit he did, there ain't a doubt in my mind that he's beating his head on the dashboard, going insane with the thought that you might be with Frieza. And if yall are close to Kakarot, I don't have a single doubt that he's raring to find you guys too."

Chi-chi smiled, her early rage dissipated with the thought of Vegeta slamming his head on a computer console with Goku poking him with a dumb, innocent look on his face. Gohan snickered to himself, showing that he too had gotten a similar image in his head. Bulma glanced towards Nappa and narrowed her eyes.

"How will they find us if they can't sense us?"

Nappa lightly lifted his great shoulders in uncertainty and grinned.

"Not real sure, but if Vegeta's on-board, I'd give oh…what, two more days?"

He chuckled to himself thoughtfully as Bulma sent a half-hearted glare.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Vegeta's whip-smart. He knows space better'n anyone I've ever known. He can find anyone and slip out of anyone's clutch. 'Course, being a prince of something, you hafta be good at that."

He shrugged half-heartedly and grinned.

"If he puts his mind to it, he could find any planet in days, and get there as fast as possible. Even if you're looking for some uninhabited little planet in the middle of nowhere that no one's ever heard of, he'll find it. Donno how he does it…"

Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, if we're trying to keep away from people, how will they find us?"

He chuckled.

"He knows where we're going."

"But how?"

"He's smart, like I said. He's a fucking mind reader, I swear. Somehow he always knows what people are going to do."

Bulma glared.

"Well, I can see where he could have made a connection between Turles and Frieza, seeing as how he musta known him if you do. But what about you guys? How will he know about that?"

He shrugged lightly.

"He probably doesn't."

The Earthlings deadpanned the titanic warrior. Nappa ignored them, however, and closed his eyes.

"Hm…I wonder…"

He stood up and walked towards the door to the control room. He leaned in and shouted.

"Hey, Baren. You ain't gonna leave us in the dark if you get a transmission thing, right?"

A faint voice spoke back.

"Aye, Sir. I've been fighting off police transmissions all day."

"Aw hell, they don't give a shit about us. Just turn on the minimum blocky thingy and they'll stop. Tell me when Vegeta pops in to say hey."

"Will do."

Nappa pulled away and walked back. He plopped down onto the chair and threw a smile at Bulma and Chi-chi.

"Had te' make sure we weren't blocking all transmissions. Anyway, if he needs help finding us, he'll send out a message and we'll be able to get a hold of him."

Chi-chi suddenly perked up.

"Hey, I just remembered."

She looked at Tak.

"You called Goku the…what was it, orange angel?"

Tak nodded politely and her dark eyes glinted curiously.

"And?"

"Well, I was just wondering why."

Tak laughed softly and waved a hand.

"That's what they call him. Or, at least, it's what the legend calls him."

The earth group shifted and watched Tak curiously. She only had to glance across their eager faces before she knew what it was they wanted. She smiled sweetly once more and began.

"Well, you already know most of it. Kakarot was the Saiyan child born with a heart of gold. He wears an outfit made from the richest, orange silk, and upon his back, he bears the sign of the Gods in black lettering on a white circle. Proof that he was sent from Above. They say he has pure black hair and eyes made from the clearest, tranquil night.

"He became the legendary creature known as the Super Saiyan. He fought Frieza on the Namekian home planet in hopes of protecting the dragon balls and their godly power. He easily defeated Frieza, yet his power was so great that it destroyed Namek too. The legend says that he disappeared afterwards, never to show his face again."

She paused, watching the ground with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

"He's a symbol of peace for many, and a symbol of hope for others. They say that he appears above battles between good and evil, and if you see him, you can be sure that good will triumph. It's a great story, really. One that I've only heard a few times. I don't know if it's the same guy you know, but the universe took his image and molded it into just what we needed."

Gohan, transfixed with the story, uttered a soft question.

"What's that?"

She smiled warmly, closing her eyes with the simplicity of the answer.

"A hero."

_A hero…_

"Someone who helps those tortured and saves the weak."

_I tortured the ones I love. I failed to save them from my Hell…_

"Someone with a genuinely good soul and a sweet, loving heart."

_What kind of man am I? To drown in burning lies…?_

Bulma smiled fondly.

"Yeah, I guess that does describe Goku."

_Goku…So many times, they called me by that name. But I'm not the one they see…_

"He really is a hero. Without him, we would have all died years ago."

_They want, so much, for me to be their savior, but I can't even save myself…_

"A savior."

_A murderer…_

"A guardian shrouded in golden light."

_A wolf in sheep's clothing…_

Her eyes glinted the strangest way, and her lips purred with love.

"An Orange Angel…"

_His eyes closed, and a darkness drenched his heart._

_"A faithless demon, and nothing more…"_


	13. Sweet Meetings

**. A Story with No Name .**

_**Sweet Meeting**_

**AN – **_Huh. Oo; I have no idea what happened. There are reviews for a 14th chapter, and I coulda sworn I had this up. I don't think I deleted it Oo;; who knows. I'm just posting this up again, since I recently noticed it was down. _

From the first night when the girls were discovered missing, a total of three weeks and six days had passed. Nearly a month traveling in the depths of space, constantly worrying over whether or not their quest would end in vain. The two boys had so much pent up energy that they would break into fits of giggles at the smallest thing, and it was obvious that the four older beings were lingering a little _too_ close to insanity's edge. However, on the sixth day, Vegeta suddenly appeared from the depths of the control room. Compared to Goku and Krillin, he seemed much better off (seeming not so brain-dead from long hours of simply staring at the wall). Goku sat up when Vegeta walked in and watched him curiously.

"What's up, Vegeta?"

Vegeta glanced towards Goku and couldn't help but smile.

"We are about to make contact with the ship the girls are in. I've already set up preparations for port."

Krillin jumped to his feet, obviously overwhelmed with joy.

"Are you serious? You mean, we can finally go back home?"

The boys watched the grown-ups curiously, not sure what to think of the situation. However, when Krillin exploded with joy at the thought of going home, the two jumped to their feet. Goten ran up to Vegeta and laughed.

"Are you for real, Uncle Veggie-boy? We're gonna go home, and Momma's coming with us!"

He cheered and turned to Trunks who laughed and nodded.

"The first thing I'm gonna do when I get back is finish that new video game."

Goten nodded vigorously.

"And eat a gallon of ice cream!"

"And watch TV!"

"And eat 10 boxes of cookies!"

"Yeah, and then we can–"

"Damn it, Boy. Hush!"

Vegeta's harsh words silenced the easily excitable duo, and they timidly turned their attention to him.

"Look, just sit there for a moment and wait. I need to complete the final sequences."

The boys grinned and nodded obediently, ecstatic with the news. Goku smiled up at Vegeta.

"So our little space trip is over?"

Vegeta allowed his eyes to fall down upon Goku. He paused at the question, recalling how Nappa had expressed his wishes to speak with him. What ever it was, Vegeta could tell it wasn't good. However, he thought it would be best not to worry the others with it, and Vegeta nodded.

"Besides the trip back."

Goku's lips flew into an even wider smile as Vegeta quickly turned away and walked back into the control room. Krillin grinned and looked to Goku, who in turn looking to him.

"So we finally found um."

Goku nodded.

"Told you we would."

Krillin nodded, his smile still strong.

"Yeah, you did."

Goku poked Krillin in the side and softened his voice.

"You still think Vegeta's using us?"

Krillin chuckled and shook his head.

"Not ever since seeing Bulma and all them yesterday. And seeing Nappa alive proves that what he said back on Earth was true. I still have a funny feeling though…like he's got something else in mind."

Goku grinned and shook his head softly when a soft click and the sound of gears suddenly hummed near the door. All eyes drew towards it curiously when Vegeta appeared once more. He walked towards the door, causing the other five to start, and he pulled the door open to reveal a small, crude tunnel that led a small distance to yet another door. They quickly covered the distance and once they were before the door, Vegeta pushed a button on the side of the metallic frame that caused the final obstacle to pull away.

The group walked in quickly and the door shut behind them. Before them was a group of people lounging around a collection of chairs and couches. They all started abruptly and every single person jumped to their feet at the unexpected visit. Rick and Korta instantly set into a defensives stance, yet both froze as their eyes captured the identity of the group.

Bulma and Chi-chi screamed and flung themselves at the group. The two mothers fell to their knees before their children and readily embraced their sons. Chi-chi squeezed her youngest son tightly, nearly crying through her joy. Goten warmly returned her embrace.

"Oh, Goten! My Baby, you're alright!"

He laughed to himself and hugged her tighter.

"You were the one kidnapped Momma, not me!"

At this, Chi-chi's wails of joy strengthened, as did her hold upon her selfless child. Meanwhile, Bulma wrapped her arms around Trunks. At her sudden show of affection, he stiffened up and tried to pull away.

"Aw, Mom…come on. You're embarrassing me…"

She pulled back and smacked him upside the head.

"Trunks, I'm your mother. Give me a hug! I haven't seen you in a month!"

Vegeta and Goku watched their wives with pleasant smiles resting upon their faces. Piccolo had quickly skimmed the group until finally spotting Gohan standing, still dazed with surprise, next to Sarmock. He nodded a greeting and Gohan instantly relaxed and threw the old Namek a smile. Krillin ran up to 18, overwhelmed with joy, and threw his arms around her in a loving embrace. She blinked, surprised at first, but his strong hold caused her to smile. She knelt down and returned his desperate hold. When she did so, Krillin instantly planted a longing kiss upon her lips, eyes closed tightly as he showed her how much he had missed her. He had lived so long without her, and his worry had burned away his soul. Now she was in his arms again, and he wasn't about to let go anytime soon.

The three warriors stood in silence, bewildered by the sudden explosion of emotion. Sam and Rick couldn't pull their eyes away from Goku, entranced with the same fascination that one may have when meeting a godly creature after years of reverent worship.

Bulma pulled away from her son finally and stood, walking over to Vegeta. She smiled at him as he turned his head to glance at her for only a fleeting moment. Any watching would have thought his sudden stiffness and cold demeanor meant that he found a high disgust in her presence, but Bulma knew he had missed her even more then she had missed him. When he had glanced at her, their eyes had lingered together for a moment, and she could see the joy and love that lingered in his eyes. He seemed, to her alone, so happy at simply knowing that she was safe and tangible. She knew he had spent days without sleep due to his worry. He was like that. Paranoid to a point where it interfered with everyday life, yet he never admitted to it and was very secretive about it.

Goku smiled at Gohan and waved, receiving a warm smile and a nod in return. Chi-chi finally unleashed her death-hold on Goten and walked up to Goku. A smile glistened gently on her face and Goku opened his arms to receive her. She leaned in and he held her for a long moment.

"Oh, Goku…"

He smiled, resting his head on hers, when he suddenly noticed that a small collection of strangers wouldn't stop staring at him. He looked up curiously and blinked.

"What?"

Sarmock withdrew, but quickly took a few steps towards him.

"Are you…really Kakarot?"

Goku nodded curiously.

"Yeah, but call me Goku."

Sarmock blinked, but quickly nodded.

"Of course, whatever you wish."

Goku stared at him for a moment before Chi-chi pulled away. He smiled down at her and scratched the back of his head.

"So, how have you guys been?"

Bulma looked to Goku and smiled.

"Better off then you guys, I'd bet. I feel sorry for Piccolo."

Goku grinned a cheesy smile and scratched the back of his head again.

"Aw, now why you say that?"

Bulma laughed.

"Why? Because he just spent the past month in a little ship with you, Krillin, Vegeta, and the boys. I can only _begin_ to imagine what sort of crazy stuff you five got into."

Goku laughed.

"Aw…I see how much you love me. What about these guys? You didn't introduce us last time."

Bulma glanced over her shoulder.

"That's Takirhare, and those three are Sarmock, Rickaron, and Korta. They all helped save us."

Goku smiled towards the four and nodded.

"Uh…thanks, I guess."

Rick walked right up to Goku.

"No problem. So, Goku was it?"

Goku nodded, watching Rick curiously.

"Yeah."

"So, you got in with Chi?"

Goku raised an innocent eyebrow.

"Yeah, so?"

Rick laughed and pat Goku's shoulders.

"How'd you get into that pair of skin-tight pants?"

Goku blushed furiously at the comment, which caused Rick to laugh even harder. He beat Goku's shoulders in a friendly manner and grinned.

"Aw, lighten up. She's just so finicky, I don't see it happening."

Goku's blush stayed strong with the thought of 'getting in her pants', but Krillin soon walked over and poked Rick's leg, trying to help his long-time friend. Rick looked down at the up-turned face, and instantly exploded into a fit of adoring laughter.

"Holy shit! Hey Tak! TAK!"

He dropped to his knees as she rolled her eyes.

"What the hell you want Rickaron? And don't yell. I'm right here."

"Get over here! You won't believe this!"

She leaned to one side in order to glance towards Rick.

"What? What is…"

Her eyes fell onto Krillin and she gasped suddenly. She ran up to Rick and pushed him out of the way, kneeling down and looking at Krillin. The bald man glared indignantly at the unintentional offense she had made, but he couldn't stay angry upon seeing the look of adoration that donned the woman's eyes. Of course, it wasn't as though he was the kind of guy to stay angry at a beautiful face either.

"What?"

"Say something cute!"

Krillin blinked and glanced towards Goku, who just shrugged. Krillin looked back to Tak and stepped away from her.

"Look, I donno what your deal is, but stop. It's degrading…"

She blinked, watching him confusedly for a moment.

"But you're cute. Just say something that's completely adorable, and I'll leave you alone."

He glared indignantly.

"I'm not cute. I'm hot and irresistibly sexy."

She exploded into laughter and clapped her hands together.

"Oh my god!"

She leaned forward and gave him a hug, making extra sure to puff out her chest for the desired effect (for a reason he didn't understand), and giggled.

"You're so adorable! Just like they say."

She stood up, leaving a bewildered Krillin staring at her in confusion. Tak glanced towards 18 and threw her a playful glare.

"Lucky. You got the best guy."

18 gave her a dead serious look.

"I know."

Tak couldn't help but laugh at the seriousness the other woman had. She suddenly turned on her heels to face Rick.

"Damn. Maybe we should move to Earth. I might be able to find that Prince Paza guy and fall madly in love with him. What you think?"

The two laughed at the joke that none of the Earthlings understood, until Bulma straightened up upon remembering something. She walked towards a hallway, seeming to completely ignore the fact that others were present. Tak and Rick watched her go, and stood to follow her curiously. Chi-chi and 18 watched them leave, glanced at one another, and joined Tak and Rick. The rest watched and soon followed, obviously not sure what they should do. Bulma had unconsciously led the majority of the ship to where Nappa was sitting in the hallway sleeping. She kicked him lightly in the leg, and in response he grunted and groggily looked up at her.

"Nghra…ga…wha–?"

He soon recognized her and straightened up, pushing aside his drowsiness.

"Ma'am! What is it?"

She grinned playfully.

"Guess who showed up?"

He blinked and looked behind her to see a much larger group then what had previously resided on the ship. He instantly jumped to his feet and stared towards the new people. He easily recognized Goku and Piccolo, and he blinked in confusion. It suddenly clicked, and he quickly glanced about the faces and caught sight of the one he sought.

"Prince Vegeta, Sir."

Any who stood in front of Vegeta moved to allow the two a perfect view of one another. The group that had been on the ship were more than eager to discover how the two would react upon seeing one another after so long. They had gathered that Nappa thought highly of Vegeta, even after being murdered by the younger man. They didn't know what to expect. Some fantasized a warm, heartfelt reunion, while others thought of a more realistically cold one. None, however, were ready for what actually happened.

Nappa straightened up and took a step towards Vegeta, still not believing that fact that he was alive and well. His eyes were wide with the light of hope and undying love.

And there Vegeta stood. Before him as real as the ground beneath his feet, yet…

Nappa narrowed his eyes suddenly, the previously cheery air dying instantly.

It wasn't him.

It looked like him, but it wasn't the same man he had known all those years ago. This man wasn't the child he watched grow under Frieza's clutches. Nappa's eyes narrowed the slightest touch as true sorrow engulfed his mind.

His elegance was lost. His old, true pride, gone. The sight sliced through his soul, simply at seeing this shell of what used to be his cherished Prince. Vegeta had lost his devilish gaze, his glamour, his magnificence, his vigor. The fire within his eyes had been smothered, the vivacity of his spirit dampened eternally with a dark cloud. Even under Frieza, Vegeta had always kept that spark of perfection, of regality, of supremacy. He never allowed himself to loose that flame, but those eyes of ebony were simply empty. No fire, no cruelty, no hatred, not even his natural prowess flickered within those dead, black orbs.

What happened?

That single question blinded his psyche, its need to be answered too great to be ignored. Nappa's mouth fell agape the smallest measure due to his shock and confusion. Vegeta folded his arms expectantly, and Nappa bit his inner lip. Even the way he carried himself was different. The bald warrior drew his gaze quickly to the floor due to the burning paranoia that seeped over his soul. Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he watched Nappa's actions and growled harshly.

"What the hell is your problem?"

That was it. Nappa's eyes closed tightly, scrunching his face in the futile effort to close out the reality that tortured his heart. Vegeta's voice was cold, only cold. Yet deep within it's rugged vibrations, it held a queer softness as well.

No…

No, no no no no! This couldn't have happened! The fear began to consume him, and he struggled with himself to keep face before this stranger that now stood before him. He drew a deep breath and reopened his now saddened eyes. He almost seemed as though he were about to shed tears, yet he easily kept his sorrow at bay.

"…nothing, Sir."

His voice barely dragged itself from the depths of his barrel-like chest, and its weakness was all-too obvious to those watching this confrontation. He met with Vegeta's eyes, staring straight into the dark abyss that now ruled the prince's psyche. It was so empty…lacking in so much of the sole power that kept him alive all those years ago. Nappa's eyes narrowed once more in sadness, noticing how bare his use of recognition felt, yet brushed it aside when he felt no anger resonating from the prince.

"…nothing…"

Vegeta's voice had that queer, background softness in it again, and Nappa winced unconsciously. That softness, Nappa knew, didn't emerge from Vegeta seeing him after all these years, but from a much deeper change.

Of mind, Nappa guessed.

…

…No, not of mind…

…

Of heart.

Nappa's eyes regained their usual strength and he narrowed his eyes the slightest measure as the thought entered his mind. He closed his eyes and clicked his heels weakly. He drew his hand across his chest and dipped his torso so his eyes graced the ground.

"Aye, nothing. Please excuse me, Sir."

With that, he turned with the same punctuality he had always presented to his prince, and quickly walked away, turning around a corner before any could oppose his departure.

He stopped and leaned heavily against the wall, slowly sliding down to sit with his knees bent before him. He rested his arms on his knees and dipped his chin to his chest.

What could have happened? Why was he so different? Where was his Prince…?

Nappa closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with a heavy hand. That man couldn't have been the same child he watched grow in a world of oppression. That man couldn't have been the same rebellious teen who snickered at Frieza's follies and pulled prank after horrendous prank, even while knowing the consequences. This man couldn't have been that same boy who never completely accepted his fate, and always stayed steadfast to the damn legend of the Super Saiyan. This man _was not_ the same young man who led attacks with that queer light sparkling within his eyes. This man was not the same person who had held so much pride that he would have rather died a thousand times then voluntarily look away from another creature who made eye contact with him.

No, this was someone else entirely.

There was no cruel amusement, no glistening pride, no recognition towards his power and heritage, nothing.

Nappa furrowed his brows and dipped his head further, taking no heed to a single tear that slid down his thick face.

Vegeta no longer had that beautifully enigmatic mindset of some artistic soul; he no longer held the creativity that fueled his missions. The once darkly fascinating mind had now worn down, so much so that he no longer resembled the pride and peak of the Saiyan blood. He was…

Human…

Nappa's eyes scrunched tightly as his wandering hand finally supported his head from falling in despair.

Just when he need him the most, his old Prince no longer recognized that deathly important title. Perfect. Just perfect. Just when he thought everything was going to finally work in their favor, Vegeta had to go and change on him.

Just…perfect…

……

Everyone blinked in confusion at the awkward situation, and a few glanced back to Vegeta curiously, expecting for him to be just as confused. However, Vegeta had a sad look resting on his cold face, almost in a piteous air that felt guilt in Nappa's actions. Krillin blinked and finally spoke the question that all wondered, yet none dared ask.

"So, what the heck is with you guys? First you're just partners, then you guys were just stuck with each other, then you guys are friends, and now you guys are acting like nervous ex's. I don't get it."

Vegeta 'hmphed' and looked at the ground. He barely spoke out to answer the shorter man's question.

"I've never known."

With that, he walked after the massive warrior and turned around the corner out of sight. The group stood in silence for a moment and glanced about each other, not quite sure what to do. Takirhare, however, tapped those around her and started walking back into the main area of the ship. Once they regained a semi-comfortable position, Goku looked to Tak for answers.

"Do you know?"

She stretched calmly in her chair and looked at Goku.

"Know what?"

He glanced at the hallway and back to her.

"What the deal is with those two. Vegeta killed Nappa without a second thought. I thought they didn't like each other."

Tak smiled and shrugged.

"And what makes you think I'd know?"

Goku shrugged.

"I donno, you just seem like you know him a little better then anyone else."

She blinked, shocked for a moment until he scratched a small itch on his chest, making his gi shift and drawing her attention to it. She regained a smile and nodded, more to herself then anyone else.

"Well, you've got a good eye then. I know Nappa's been real anxious about finding Vegeta. He's definitely missed the guy, but he seems kinda worried about something too. He hasn't told me what, though."

Bulma blinked.

"So…?"

Tak strengthened her smile.

"I don't see why, but _Der_ Nappa loves Prince Vegeta like a father would a son. He doesn't have a reason though, from what I've heard."

She glanced back over her shoulders at the hallway.

"But whatever the reason, it goes real deep. So deep that _Der _Nappa didn't care about Vegeta killing him. Instead, he told me that he was sad on Prince Vegeta's behalf. Something weird about being able to leave while Prince Vegeta would have to stay. I don't know, Saiyans are weird. Let alone the high-ranked ones."

She laughed softly and shook her head.

"I donno, but whatever it is, it stemmed from Frieza's ship. Maybe…20 years ago, if I were to guess. Nappa talks a lot, but he hardly says a word about that."

She shrugged.

"You'd probably have to dig around the mobile base to get anything."

Goku blinked and nodded thoughtfully, yet suddenly flashed as mile and leaned back. At his relaxation, the Earth group relaxed as well, settling down comfortably within the company of strangers.

"So, what happened with you guys?"

Bulma smiled at her oldest friend.

"A lot. It all started when…"

And so the group shared their own tales, enlightening one another as to what they had gone through during the past month.

……

Vegeta found Nappa sitting on the floor. He knelt down in front of Nappa, yet he stayed silent as he watched his oldest companion. It was quiet for a long time until Nappa sniffed deeply and looked up at his Prince.

"Why'd you change?"

His voice was so sad, and definitely didn't seem as though it came from a grown man. Vegeta sighed and sat down, leaning against the wall opposite of Nappa. He bent his knees and rested his arms on them tiredly.

"I've been through a lot more then you'd think."

Nappa tipped his chin towards his massive chest.

"You're different."

Vegeta closed his eyes.

"I know."

"But how? You were always such a stick in the mud. Why'd you up and change like that?"

Vegeta looked up calmly at the bald titan before him.

"Well, I did, and there's no changing anything about it now."

Nappa blinked at the uncharacteristic remark, and he leaned forward suspiciously.

"What the hell?"

Vegeta sent him a weak glare, yet suddenly turned his attention to the doorway that led back into the main part of the ship. Nappa noticed this and knew what he was insinuating, and as Vegeta turned his head back to Nappa, the taller man nodded absently.

"Huh…so the girly, huh?"

Vegeta's eye twitched unconsciously at the phrase, yet he ignored it and simply nodded in reply. Nappa laughed.

"Damn, you musta been going through Hell to have fallen like that again."

Vegeta's gaze darkened and he narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Well, if you didn't know, Kakarot _was_ the one who defeated Frieza, not me."

Nappa blinked, then chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Well, that doesn't mean he was the Super Saiyan, now does it?"

Vegeta gave Nappa a look that proved him otherwise. At this, Nappa blinked in confusion, and upon seeing this, Vegeta explained.

"The Super Saiyan changes physically. He bears golden hair and eyes of turquoise."

Nappa straightened up in surprise.

"Woah, you mean you like, transform?"

Vegeta nodded and Nappa looked towards the main area.

"So, why's he like that then?"

Vegeta sighed.

"If you don't destroy yourself it seems as though you can control it like you would your power. You know, like I did."

Nappa nodded thoughtfully.

"So he changes in a fight?"

Vegeta nodded curtly.

"Yes."

Nappa blinked.

"Huh…I'd love to see that."

Vegeta's eyes twitched calmly in mild anger at the thought, but he doused his anger for the sake of his past guardian. Nappa focused back onto Vegeta.

"Man, that musta sucked."

Vegeta coolly glared at the bulkier man.

"Really?"

Nappa chuckled softly.

"Aw, don't get sarcastic on me now."

Vegeta grinned.

"Sorry, can't help it."

Nappa chuckled and kicked Vegeta's foot idly.

"You're still a fucking brat. Thought you'd grow up."

Vegeta just strengthened his grin.

"You always expected too much."

Nappa smiled a huge grin when Vegeta looked up to him.

"You…had something you need to tell me?"

Nappa perked up, remembering at Vegeta's question.

"Oh, yeah!"

His gaze then darkened and he diverted his gaze to the ground.

"Yeah…"

Nappa sighed and looked straight into Vegeta's eyes.

"Well, I probably don't need to tell you, you're so dang smart."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in apathetic warning.

"What? That Frieza's alive?"

Nappa shook his head without once removing his gaze.

"No. You're father is."

Vegeta's eyes widened the slightest measure as he stared back at the old guard, eagerly awaiting details.

"Is he, now?"

Nappa nodded.

"Yep. Well and kicking."

Vegeta diverted his gaze thoughtfully to the ground.

"So…his subjects?"

"Have returned as well."

Vegeta narrowed his dark eyes.

"And the planet?"

"Good as new. Or, at least, only two years have passed since Frieza blew the crap outta it."

Vegeta looked up.

"Two universal years?"

Nappa nodded and in his reply, Vegeta narrowed his eyes and snapped his head downwards.

"What else?"

Nappa shrugged.

"Well, any Saiyan that's died since then has been brought back too."

Vegeta snapped his head up in pure shock.

"All of them?"

Nappa nodded.

"Every last one."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He suddenly smiled and shook his head, changing the subject as though they had only just been talking about the weather.

"How'd you do it?"

Nappa blinked, not understanding what had caused his sudden mood change.

"Do what?"

Vegeta looked at him again.

"Keep those freaks in line."

Nappa blinked.

"You mean Gohan and the girlies?"

Vegeta nodded and Nappa just stared at him.

"They weren't trouble at all. Why you say that?"

"I was more questioning how you were able to convince Kakarot's insane mate that you wouldn't hurt her baby boy."

Nappa laughed at that and nodded.

"Yeah, she is kinda crazy, ain't she? I mean, she's a good woman, cares 'bout her family and all. Great cook too. But crazy as fucking hell."

He chuckled and Vegeta nodded in agreement.

"Yes, good wife. Bad purging partner."

Nappa smiled and nodded.

"At least you still remember that."

Vegeta closed his eyes as Nappa straightened up. Vegeta quickly reopened his eyes and watched Nappa carefully.

"I am supposing that is all you wanted?"

Nappa froze and stared at Vegeta.

"Uh…not really…"

Vegeta waved his hand for Nappa to continue.

"Uh…well, it's just that, ever since it was restored, Planet Vegeta's been in an uproar. You know, people keep looking at King Vegeta and they're blaming him for what happened. Nearly every village is against King Vegeta since he gave in to Lord Frieza's demands. There are rebel groups all over the place hiding in the jungles and stuff. There's mass chaos about to break out, and you know what it is they call for?"

Vegeta had been watching the ground thoughtfully all the while as Nappa paused at his question. Vegeta stayed silent, as he should have expected, and so Nappa continued.

"They're calling for you, Sire. They say that you've earned the throne since you were forced into Frieza's army at such a young age. They say you are the rightful keeper of the throne because they think you defeated Frieza."

Vegeta looked up slowly, shocked and appalled at the information.

"What? But, why?"

Nappa shrugged.

"Hell, that's what I thought till you told me different."

"But why? I was in hell right before he died! What the hell makes them think I did it? I thought the whole damn universe was worshiping the almighty Orange Angel for that reason."

Nappa shrugged lightly again, trying to ignore the cold sarcasm in Vegeta last statement.

"I donno. I think they all know the truth, but in their minds, you were their savior, not him. I donno, maybe one of the higher-ups in the media were part of one of the rebel groups and wanted to glorify your image."

Vegeta sighed and sent a troubled glare to the ground.

"I'm supposing that you wish for me to return, then? To a land I hardly remember? And rule it as though I had lived there my whole life?"

Nappa nodded.

"It's in your blood. You were born to be–"

"The Prince of all Saiyans. I know. I've told myself that a million times when the only Saiyan alive, other than myself, was some dim witted, amnesiatic fool who could kick my ass from dawn until dusk. Yes. I know who I am."

Nappa recoiled at the sudden explosion. His eyes softened and he looked to the ground.

"No one seems to recognize the fact that Kakarot even exists."

He stopped dead, remembering how untrue that statement had been. He snapped his eyes up to Vegeta, hoping that he wouldn't notice, and to his relief, Vegeta continued on as though he didn't notice Nappa's fear.

"Look. I could care less what everyone else thinks. I know that Kakarot is the stronger. It's just not proper for me to assume the throne when I am not the strongest Saiyan alive."

Nappa still felt uneasy about the situation, and he diverted his gaze to the ground.

"Prince Vegeta…just, trust me. You've got the royal bloodline, the strength, the prowess. He doesn't. All he's got is power, and I can tell he would go crazy if he was put in a high position like that. Ask anyone on the planet, and I swear by my honor that they'd rather see you in there then some third class freak-show."

Vegeta sighed again and shook his head thoughtfully.

"I can't just leave with you. If you didn't notice, I've sort of…settled down."

Nappa shrugged.

"Bring um with you."

Vegeta scoffed bitterly, almost as thought the fact troubled him just as much as his present situation.

"They wouldn't be happy there."

Nappa sighed and studied his fingers for a moment before replying.

"Well, you need to at least come back and do something about the government. Lord Vegeta has no power over the people anymore, and hardly any of his subjects respect him. The rebel groups are attacking Banata night and day, killing everyone, even if they are on their side."

Vegeta shot a defensive glare towards the bald warrior.

"And what the hell am I supposed to do about it? Blow the rebellious bastards to Hell and leave? It doesn't work like that."

"Well, you could impregnate a girly so the royal line is continued. Then, just stay around for a few years or something so that you can get everything set up for the next king. Then you can go back to Earth and stay there for the rest of your life. That's what they want more then anything, Sir."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Nappa deadpanned him.

"What's the problem now?"

Vegeta rumbled.

"Bulma wouldn't have it."

Nappa stared at Vegeta.

"What, does she rule you now?"

Vegeta grinned and looked at him.

"Of course she does. On Earth, the women dominate."

Nappa's eyes widened.

"Do they really?"

Vegeta nodded.

"Of course. Just look at Bulma and Chi-chi. Bold and demanding. Free spirited and willful. Most of Earth's women are like that."

Nappa's eyes were wide and he slowly blinked.

"That's scary…"

Nappa suddenly grinned a massive smile and started laughing.

"But hot as Hell. I'll have to go back with you."

He kept laughing until Vegeta leaned forward and punched Nappa in the leg.

"Oh, hush it."

Nappa chuckled softly and nodded respectfully.

"Yes Sir. Forgive me."

Vegeta sighed.

"So, you…believe that will work."

Nappa nodded and Vegeta continued.

"You think I'd be able to…work the role?"

Nappa laughed.

"It's like riding a bike, Sire. You never forget. You think you do, and you act like you do, but once you get back on the seat, you're riding like a pro again."

Vegeta looked at the ground.

"I've forgotten a lot of things."

Nappa shrugged.

"You can relearn anything you forgot."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I wouldn't have to stay?"

"Not unless you didn't want too."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"So…I only have to stay a few years?"

Nappa nodded.

"Max of 5, I'd gather."

Vegeta nodded curtly.

"All right. I'll go and steady things out. Once everything cools down, I'm gone and no one bothers me or the Planet Earth unless it is under extreme circumstances."

Nappa couldn't help but chuckle and nod as Vegeta continued.

"I plan to go alone, and you will escort everyone back to Earth personally."

Nappa stopped his amused chuckles and straightened up.

"But Sir! I'm your body guard, and if you return to the planet, I'll need to be there."

Never narrowed his eyes.

"Oh? Well, I am your superior and I find that your presence will be most beneficial if you accompany the Earthlings back from whence they came."

Nappa narrowed his eyes.

"But…maybe they wanna go."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Why the hell would they want to go to my home planet?"

Nappa shrugged.

"They're already this far out."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's just tell them our plans and get this over with."

Nappa nodded and stood, waiting for Vegeta to rise. Vegeta stood smoothly, yet reluctantly, and walked towards the main area. He walked gracefully through the frame as Nappa followed, having to duck slightly in order to travel unharmed through the doorway. Goku looked back and smiled upon seeing Vegeta.

"Hey, Vegeta."

Vegeta sent him a mild glare and folded his arms, coming to stand before the group.

"Look. I'm going to take care of a bit of unfinished business. Nappa shall escort the lot of you back to Planet Earth."

Goku raised an eyebrow.

"You're leaving? When are you coming back?"

Vegeta shrugged absently.

"A few years."

Bulma spun around to face him completely, having only turned her head around to watch him.

"A few years!"

Vegeta glared at her.

"Yes, a few years. It's not like it's the end of the world."

"Well maybe it is for me! How do I know you'll come back?"

Vegeta darkened his glare and snarled.

"Why don't you try trusting me for once in your god-forsaken life?"

She laughed sarcastically.

"Oh yeah. Trust you. Don't make me laugh, Vegeta!"

Vegeta glared and was about to continue the little bout when Goku turned halfway in his chair.

"Hey, guys. Come on, stop fighting. Ok, if you have to leave, go ahead. But why? What's up?"

Vegeta shot Goku a nasty glare and his lips twitched in anger.

"It's none of your business. I'll deal with it and I don't want you slowing me down. I–"

"Lord Vegeta!"

A voice called out from the ships control room and all eyes turned to its source. Nappa blinked.

"What is it, Baren?"

"Get up here, both of you. It's General Jarick from Planet Vegeta. He's wondering where Lord Vegeta is and why you–"

Vegeta suddenly wailed fearfully to stop whatever else the shiper was going to say, and he quickly turned to the control room. Of course, Nappa followed, curious as to what the matter was. Bulma shot Vegeta's back a deep glare as she turned back around in her seat and folded her arms indignantly across her chest. Krillin blinked, yet quickly turned his attention to Bulma.

"Heh, so anyway. Yeah, after Vegeta scared the crap outta that poor girl, we went and got something to eat. Get this, we got 6 of everything on the menu, and we only just finished off the leftovers."

Chi-chi leaned forward.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Krillin laughed.

"Hey, if I'm lyin', I'm dyin'."

They laughed happily and Krillin waved a hand.

"But yeah. This crazy-ass chick, you shoulda seen her. Man she was freaky. Piercings everywhere, the craziest hair, purple lipstick and black clothes under a uniform shirt thing that was way too small."

Gohan looked at Krillin curiously.

"But…how is that any different from Earth?"

Krillin laughed.

"Did I say it was?"

The group laughed again, relishing in one another's company. Rick laughed and poked Krillin.

"What size?"

Krillin looked back at Rick and smirked. They had only known each other for a few minutes, but for some reason, Krillin couldn't help but love his openly perverted ways.

"Huge, I swear. At least a C."

Rick whooped and beat Krillin on the shoulder.

"Hot dog, them angsty chicks are always the hottest."

Krillin laughed.

"Yeah, but they aren't as slutty as the preps."

Rick laughed again and nodded, showing his agreement. 18 coughed and Krillin winced.

"Uh…sorry. Anyway, this fat old guy came out and acted all…weird. I think he was sucking up to Vegeta, but whatever."

Goku straightened up all of a sudden and placed his feet firmly on the ground.

"You know, I saw the strangest thing before they brought that food out."

All eyes turned to him curiously as he continued.

"I saw these people wearing clothes that looked a lot like mine."

He grabbed the orange fabric and held it out.

"They even had circles on the back with symbols on them."

18 raised an eyebrow.

"Now that you say that, I remember seeing a group of people wearing orange clothes before we were stolen by these guys."

Nappa and Vegeta walked back into the room, and Bulma instantly jumped to her feet.

"Alright Buster, spill it."

Vegeta grumbled softly.

"Look, it doesn't concern any of you, so–"

"But maybe I want to see this amazing Planet Vegeta."

Vegeta gave her a sour look.

"Why the hell would you want to do that?"

"Because! You're always so stuck on the fact that you're a Saiyan. It must be quite the place if you think so highly of yourself."

Nappa chuckled to himself as Vegeta rolled his eyes and continued speaking with Bulma.

"Oh yes. Great little planet. A wonderful place. I'm sure you'd love it there."

She nodded as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I'm sure I would too. I'm going."

"No."

She growled and threw her arms down by her sides.

"Damn it, Vegeta. I'm going."

"No you're not!"

"Why can't I go?"

"Because you're a pathetic–"

"Weak, human woman, I know. But if I can handle the almighty Saiyan Prince, I can take on the rest of the planet."

"How dare you! You don't…"

The two continued fighting in this manner as the rest of the group tuned them out. Nappa stepped towards the circle of chairs and sofas and sat down on the ground in front of Tak. She was sitting with her legs tucked up in front of her. She smiled and tapped her toe on the side of his neck and he turned his head towards Goku and the others.

"Well, I guess whenever you guys are ready to head back, we'll head off. Vegeta wants me to escort you back for whatever reason."

Krillin looked at Nappa, who suddenly snapped his head around and bit at Tak's foot. She giggled quietly as Krillin spoke.

"Do we have to go back? I mean, I want to find out why everyone was brought back to life. Plus, I'd love to see Vegeta's home planet."

Nappa looked at Krillin and shrugged as Tak started tapping her toe on his neck again.

"You'd have to ask Vegeta that whenever he and Miss Bulma stop fighting. She could probably convince him to let you guys go, but I don't – God damn it Tak, would you stop that!"

He whipped around and grabbed her foot with a playful anger sparkling in his eyes of ebony. Tak broke into laughter and hit Nappa over the head.

"You're such a stiff. I'm just playin'."

He shook her foot and shot her a glare.

"What, you trying to flirt with me? You little slut."

She pulled her foot away from him and smacked him over the head again.

"I thought you knew me better then that. I don't swing that way."

Nappa blinked and made a soft 'Oh yeah' sound when suddenly Vegeta's normally calm and collected voice exploded with only a fraction of its potential power.

"ALL RIGHT! You demanding bitch! If you want to go THAT badly, fine! I won't stop you! I mean, it's not like I know anything!"

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin at the outburst, and the rest of the people snapped their attention back to the fighting couple to see both in a very ruffled state. At Vegeta's words, Bulma leaned back and folded her arms arrogantly across her chest.

"Oh ho! Good, it's about time you let me do something I wanted to."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"You'll regret it."

She forced a laugh and Vegeta mockingly laughed back at her.

"Laugh all you want, Bitch. We'll see who has the last laugh."

She jeered when Vegeta snapped his attention towards Goku.

"You can just use that ship to get back. It won't take as long and the sooner you leave, the sooner you can get back home."

Goku pouted.

"But I wanna see Planet Vegeta too…"

Vegeta snarled and then growled deeply.

"Dammit, fine! I give up! Gah!"

With that, he spun around and stormed towards a nearby door. He flung open the door and walked insides, quickly slamming it behind him. Everything was quiet for a while when Nappa suddenly turned his head around and yelled.

"Uh, Prince Vegeta?"

"What?"

"That's a closet."

"I KNOW! Now _darkenaris fad nor_, and leave me _penio_!"

Silence filled the air once more before Nappa turned his head back around to everyone else.

"Woah…he started talking in different languages. You're one daring bitch, you know."

Bulma was still seething when she took a deep breath and calmly walked back to her seat. She sat down and relaxed, looking at Nappa calmly. She flashed him a smile and Krillin watched her curiously.

"So…we going too?"

She nodded at her friend.

"If you guys want to."

Krillin glanced up to 18 who smiled and nodded calmly to show her decision. Krillin grinned and looked at Goku.

"So, you going?"

The taller warrior grinned and nodded.

"A'course! I mean, I might as well see it while it's still around, eh? I have to at least be grateful for it giving me my life."

Krillin laughed and looked back to Bulma, grinning sarcastically all the while.

"Wooh…here we go again."


End file.
